Azifa

Name: Azifa
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Ingredients: 250 g green or brown lentils, rinsed; 1 red onion, finely chopped; 2 green chilli, deseeded and finely chopped; 4 tbsp lemon juice; 1 tbsp prepared mustard; 1 clove garlic, crushed; 2 tbsp neutral vegetable oil; ¾ tsp salt; ¼ tsp black pepper

Vegetarian

አዚፋ · azifa

Cooked brown lentils dressed cold with lemon, mustard, red onion and green chilli. A sharp, refreshing Ethiopian fasting salad.

Azifa is an Ethiopian salad, ready in about 1 hour 5 minutes and made with green or brown lentils, green chilli and lemon juice. It serves 4 and is rated beginner to cook.

Start cooking

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Prep: 10 min
Cook: 25 min
Rest: 30 min
Total: 1 h 5 min
Serves: 4
Level: Beginner
Calories: 298

Ingredients

4 servings

250 g Green or brown lentils (opens in a new tab), rinsed
1 (110 g) Red onion (opens in a new tab), finely chopped
2 (12 g) Green chilli (opens in a new tab), deseeded and finely chopped
4 tbsp (61 g) Lemon juice (opens in a new tab)
1 tbsp (16 g) Prepared mustard (opens in a new tab)Prepared mustard; traditionally ground mustard seed mixed with water.Swap: Mustard seeds (Ground and mixed with a little water.)Contains mustard
1 clove (4 g) Garlic (opens in a new tab), crushed
2 tbsp (27 g) Neutral vegetable oil (opens in a new tab)Swap: Olive oil
¾ tsp (4.5 g) Salt (opens in a new tab)
¼ tsp (0.5 g) Black pepper (opens in a new tab)

Equipment

Saucepan (opens in a new tab)

Method

1
Step 1
Simmer the lentils in plenty of unsalted water until tender but still holding their shape. Drain and cool.
- 25 min
- medium-low heat
- Saucepan (opens in a new tab)
2
Step 2
Whisk the lemon juice (opens in a new tab), mustard, garlic (opens in a new tab), oil, salt and pepper (opens in a new tab) together.
- 2 min
How it looks · Photo: Kampus Production on Pexels
3
Step 3
Toss the lentils with the onion, chillies and dressing. Chill for at least 30 minutes before serving.

About this dish

Origin: Ethiopia · Commonly attributedMore food from Ethiopia
Dish: Lunch · Dinner · Salads · Side dishes
Cooking method: Boiled, No-cook
Taste: tangy, spicy (chilli heat), earthy, fresh
Diet: Vegan · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · High-protein · High-fibre
All labels
Vegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · High-protein · High-fibre · Calorie-conscious
With the listed swaps: Whole-food focusedWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for: Make-ahead · Meal-prep friendly · Budget-friendly · Portable / lunchbox
Cook more with: Green or brown lentils · Green chilli · Lemon juice · Red onion · Prepared mustard · Garlic
Techniques: Boiling · Simmering

Allergens

Contains: Mustardfrom prepared mustard
May contain: Sulphitesfrom prepared mustard

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

298 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 121 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

Protein 21%
Carbohydrate 57%
Fat 22%

Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
Nutrient	Per serving	Per 100 g*
Energy	298 kcal	246 kcal
Protein	16 g	13.2 g
Carbohydrate	43.7 g	36 g
Net carbohydrate	36.4 g	30 g
Sugars	3.2 g	2.7 g
Added sugars	0 g	0 g
Fibre	7.2 g	6 g
Fat	7.7 g	6.3 g
Saturated fat	—	—
Trans fat	0 g	0 g
Cholesterol	0 mg	0 mg
Sodium	486 mg	401 mg
Salt equivalent	1.2 g	1 g

Vitamins & minerals per serving

Potassium: 494 mg
Calcium: 34 mg
Iron: 4.3 mg
Magnesium: 36 mg
Vitamin A (RAE): 3 µg
Vitamin C: 18 mg
Vitamin D: 0 µg
Vitamin B12: —
Folate (DFE): —

How these numbers were made

Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
*Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
“—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

Dress the lentils while still slightly warm so they absorb the lemon and mustard.

Common mistakes

Overcooking the lentils so the salad turns mushy.

Serve with

Serve cold with injera as part of a fasting platter.

Storage

Refrigerate up to 3 days.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added 26 Oct 2026 · Updated 8 Nov 2026

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

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Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Green or brown lentils, rinsed250 g
Green chilli, deseeded and finely chopped2 piece · 12 g
Lemon juice4 tbsp · 61 g

Used in steps 1, 2, 3

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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