Cook the lentils. Place them in a medium saucepan with 2 cups of water over medium high heat. Bring to a boil and simmer until lentils are soft and liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes, stirring frequently (you may have to add more water as it's cooking).
Scrape the hot lentils into a medium mixing bowl and mash together with the cornmeal until a smooth, uniform texture is achieved. Add the cumin and cayenne and mix. Set aside.
In a small sauté pan over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add the onions and sauté until soft/on the verge of turning brown, about 6-7 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and sriracha and let simmer for a couple minutes to merge the flavours. Scrape into the lentil mixture and stir to combine everything.
Allow the spread to cool before folding in the herbs. Season the entire mixture to taste with salt and pepper, and serve.
Recipe Notes
I know it says this in the recipe already, but I can't stress it enough: you must add the cornmeal while the lentils are still hot. This is what makes the spread stiffen up a bit and hold its shape.
Stir the lentils a couple times while they're cooking, making sure to scrape the bottom. The first time I made this at the restaurant, I neglected that little morsel of advice, which resulted in about an inch of burnt lentils on the bottom of the pan, yikes!
This spicy red lentil spread is a perfect vegan appetizer. Filled with spices, herbs, onion, and a secret ingredient (marinara sauce!), this dip is so satisfying.