Azifa

Name: Azifa
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Ethiopia
Ingredients: 350 g green lentils; 1 red onion, finely diced; 2 jalapeños, seeded and chopped; 2 tsp mustard powder; Juice of 2 lemons; 60 ml olive oil; 1½ tsp salt; 3 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley

Local name: አዚፋ

Green lentils cooled then dressed with mustard and lemon, with red onion and jalapeño, served cold.

Published on 4 June 2026·Updated on 26 September 2026

VeganGluten-free#lentils#mustard#lemon#cold#fasting

AI-generated image, not a photograph of the dish

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 25 min
Total: 40 min
Serves: 6
Difficulty: Easy

Method

Rinse the lentils and cook them in 1 litre of unsalted water for 20 to 25 minutes. They should hold their shape between your fingers.
Drain and spread them on a tray to cool. A warm lentil takes up dressing poorly.
Slake the mustard powder with 2 tbsp cold water and leave it for 10 minutes. Its heat develops during that rest.
Whisk the mustard with the lemon juice, olive oil and salt.
Toss the cold lentils with the red onion and jalapeño.
Pour over the dressing, turn everything and fold in the parsley.
Chill for 1 hour and serve with 100% teff injera.

Mustard powder needs ten minutes in cold water for its enzymes to release the heat. Put it into hot or acidic liquid too early and that reaction stops dead. This is why the lemon comes afterwards.

The techniques this recipe uses

Drain and rinse
Canning liquid clouds a sauce and salts it blind: rinse until the water runs clear.

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Nutrition per serving

Calories: 309 kcal
Protein: 15.1 g
Fat: 10 g
Carbohydrate: 42.4 g
Fibre: 7.1 g

An estimate computed from the recipe quantities and the USDA food composition database. Real values vary with the products used.

Frequently asked questions

Which lentils work for azifa?

Ones that keep their skins and their shape, such as the green lentils used here or brown lentils. Red split lentils are hulled and collapse to purée within about ten minutes, giving a paste rather than a dish where each lentil stays distinct in the dressing.

Can I use jarred mustard instead of mustard powder?

It will do at a pinch, but the result changes. Prepared mustard already contains vinegar, which has stopped the reaction behind the sharp heat wanted here, and the dish tilts towards sourness. Use about two teaspoons of a strong mustard and cut back slightly on the lemon juice.

How long does azifa keep?

Three days in the fridge, and it holds up well: the red onion mellows and the lentils take on more of the dressing. The mustard heat, however, fades day by day. If you are making it ahead, hold the parsley back and stir it in only as you serve.

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