A Terrible Photographer But A Decent Cook
I don’t know about you but after the holidays, or really any period when I spend a lot of time with my Atkins diet-loving parents, I tend to want to eat vegetarian for a little while. Don’t get me wrong, I love meat, but sometimes I need a little break — a detox of sorts.
This recipe comes from my (current) favorite cookbook, Feeding the Whole Family by Cynthia Lair. It’s sooo good. Even my I-don’t-eat-lentils-they-have-too-many-carbs-pass-the-bacon Dad loves it. Prep time says 50 minutes but that’s because the rice and lentils take time to cook. The hands-on prep time is really minimal.
Recipe: Indian Rice and Lentils with Carmelized Onions
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons ghee or olive oil, divided
- 1 cup short-grain brown rice, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup dried brown or green lentils, rinsed and drained
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 3/4 cups water
- 2 teaspoons salt, divided
- 2 large onions, sliced in thin rounds
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne
- 1 cup plain yogurt with 1 teaspoon snipped fresh dill mixed in
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the ghee in a 4-quart pot and add rice and lentils. Saute until nicely coated. Add bay leaf, water, and 1 teaspoon of salt and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer 45 minutes, covered. To pressure-cook, use 2 3/4 cups water and cook at pressure 35 to 40 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat remaining ghee in a skillet on medium to low heat. Add onions and 1 teaspoon salt and saute. When onions begin to soften, add garlic and spices. Cook until onions are golden and have begun to carmelize.
- When all water is absorbed from rice and lentils, remove from heat and take out bay leaf. Serve rice and lentils topped with carmelized onions and a dollop of dilled yogurt.
Cooking time (duration): 50
Diet type: Vegetarian
Diet (other): Gluten free
Meal type: dinner
Microformatting by hRecipe.