Crispy Rice & Lentils with Yogurt Sauce
From: Ian Seddon's Cookbook
🥘 Ingredients
- good-quality creamy vegan yogurt 5 oz
- lemon juice from medium lemon ½ tsp
- ground cumin ¼ tsp
- ground coriander ¼ tsp
- Indian red chili powder or cayenne pepper ¼ tsp
- kosher salt ¼ tsp
- Cooked Lentils (Brown-Green Version 2) 2 ¼ cup
- extra virgin olive oil 1 tbsp
- Kosher
- high-heat 1-2 tbsp
- cilantro leaves and tender stems 1 cup
- fresh mint leaves 1-2 handful
- A few handfuls of tangy jarred peppers
- medium lemons ½
Yogurt Sauce
Not a fan of cilantro? Skip it, but be sure to use the fresh mint! Use any tangy jarred peppers, such as peppadews, hot cherry peppers, banana peppers, or even roasted red bell peppers. If you have mango chutney in your pantry or fridge, add a dollop on top for a fun flavor twist. Storage: Store the lentils separately from the Yogurt Sauce and the Crunchy Indian Mix in the fridge. The lentils will stay good for 3 to 4 days, but the Crispy Rice is best on the day of making. When ready to serve, make a pot of fresh rice (or use ready-to-heat rice). Reheat the lentils in a frying pan over medium heat with a touch of oil for just a few minutes until warm. Toss with the Crunchy Indian Mix, rice, freshly chopped mint & cilantro, and lemon juice. Dollop with the Yogurt Sauce and top with tangy peppers before serving. Nutrition boost: For more fruit/veg, fold in pomegranate arils if available, or top with broccoli sprouts. You can also lightly dress some soft salad greens and fold them in with the rice & lentil mixture. For a protein boost, sprinkle with hemp seeds. Shortcut: The Crispy Rice adds so much fun texture to this dish, but if you need to shave off 8 to 10 minutes, just serve with plain warmed-up rice. Alternatively, you can skip roasting the lentils and simply warm them in the microwave or in a frying pan.
-
1Prepare: good-quality creamy vegan yogurt , lemon juice from medium lemon , ground cumin , ground coriander , Indian red chili powder or cayenne pepper , kosher salt .
-
2In a glass jar or food storage container, stir together all of the ingredients. Taste, adding more lemon juice for tang, chili powder for heat, or salt as desired.
-
3Label and seal the jar or container, and refrigerate for 5 to 7 days.
-
4Gather: Cooked Lentils (Brown-Green Version 2) . For the 1 cup crunchy indian mix (leftover from dal palak): extra virgin olive oil , Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper. For the crispy rice: high-heat , cilantro leaves and tender stems , fresh mint leaves , A few handfuls of tangy jarred peppers , medium lemons , timer tbsp Yogurt Sauce (from meal prep).
-
5Arrange two racks, one just below and one just above the middle of the oven, and preheat to 400ºF / 205ºC. Take the Cooked Lentils, Crunchy Indian Mix, and Cooked Rice out of the fridge.
-
6Grab two rimmed sheet pans. Add the Cooked Lentils to one pan and toss with 1 tbsp olive oil, 1/4 tsp kosher salt, and several cracks of pepper. Spread across the pans (they won't crisp up if crowded onto one pan). Roast in the oven for 13-15 minutes . If the lentils are slightly crunchy but not too hard, they are done. If not yet done, roast in 3-minute increments.
-
7While the lentils roast, prepare the Crispy Rice. With the leftover Cooked Rice, break up all the clumps with your hands. Heat a 12-inch (30 cm) sauté pan or frying pan over medium-high heat for 2 minutes, or until very hot. Add 1 tbsp of high-heat oil. Once shimmering, carefully add in the Cooked Rice. Use a silicone spatula or rice paddle to smush the rice together in one layer. Drizzle some more oil around the edges of the rice so it crisps up more. Season with a few pinches of salt. Cook undisturbed for 4-5 minutes , or until the bottom is lightly golden brown in spots and crispy. Toss well, then cook undisturbed for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the bottom is lightly golden brown and the rice is crunchy in spots but soft-chewy in others.
-
8Chop the cilantro and mint (or tear with your hands). Thinly slice the jarred peppers. Prepare your side salad, if you’re making one.
-
9In a large bowl, toss the roasted lentils with the Crunchy Indian Mix. Add the Crispy Rice, chopped herbs, and 1 tbsp of lemon juice. Toss again. Taste, adding more lemon juice and salt/pepper as needed. TIP: If saving leftovers, only mix together as much as you can eat.
-
10Assemble: Divide the rice and lentil mixture among bowls and dollop some Yogurt Sauce on top of each. Top each with a few sliced tangy peppers. Rest for 2 minutes to allow the Yogurt Sauce to just slightly soften the Crunchy Indian Mix. Serve with your side salad, if you made one.