Rice Pilaf With Lentils And Split Peas Recipes

LENTIL RICE PILAF WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS (MUJADARA)

Steps:

• prep the ingredients: Add the lentils into a small saucepan and add water until the lentils are covered by at least 2 inches. Cook the lentils over medium-high heat until almost tender, about 15-18 minutes. Drain; set aside. Soak the rice in a bowl of cold water for 20 minutes while you caramelize the onions.
• onions: Add the olive oil into a deep, thick-bottomed pot (with a lid), like a dutch oven. Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Once it's hot, add the onions and stir them around to coat with the oil. Set a timer for 20 minutes and cook the onions for a total of 18-22 minutes, stirring often, or until the onions are a deep orange or brown color. If the onions start to brown before the 10-minute mark, lower the heat. Ideally, they should start developing color around 12-15 minutes. And from that point on, you'll need to stir the onions often so that they don't burn. Remove the onions to a plate lined with a paper towel.
• rice pilaf: Drain the soaked rice thoroughly and add it to the oil remaining in the pot (if you have less than a tablespoon, add a little more). Sauté the rice in the remaining oil for 2 minutes. Add the lentils to the pot and season with the cumin, coriander, turmeric, allspice, cinnamon, sugar, and salt. Add 1 1/2 cups of water and let the water come to a rolling boil, cover, lower the heat to the lowest setting, and let cook for 15 minutes. Remove the pot from the stove. Grab a piece of paper towel large enough to cover the pot. Add the caramelized onions to the top of the rice and place the paper towel flat on the pot before placing the lid on top. Let sit for 10 minutes (your stove should be off at this point). Fluff and mix in the onions before serving.

MUJADARA (LENTILS AND RICE WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS)

Steps:

• In a large Dutch oven or soup pot, combine the garlic, bay leaves, cumin, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the salt and about 20 twists of freshly ground black pepper. Add the water and bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat.
• Once boiling, stir in the rice and reduce the heat to medium. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally and adjusting the heat as necessary to maintain a controlled simmer, for 10 minutes.
• Stir in the lentils and let the mixture return to a simmer. Cover again, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook until the liquid is absorbed and the rice and lentils are tender, about 20 to 23 minutes.
• Meanwhile, warm the olive oil in a large (12-inch) skillet over medium-high heat. When it's warm enough that a slice of onion sizzles on contact, add the remaining onions. Stir to combine.
• Stir only every 3 minutes or so at first, then more often once the onions at the edges of the pan start browning. If the onions are browning before they have softened, dial down the heat to give them more time. Cook until the onions are deeply caramelized and starting to crisp at the edges, about 20 to 30 minutes. In the meantime, line a large plate or cutting board with a couple paper towels.
• Using a slotted spoon or fish spatula, transfer the onions to the lined plate and spread them evenly across. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt over the onions. They'll crisp up as they cool.
• When the lentils and rice are done cooking, drain off any excess water (if there is any) and return the mixture to the pot, off the heat. Lay a kitchen towel across the top of the pot to absorb steam, then cover the pot and let it rest for 10 minutes.
• Remove the lid, discard the bay leaves, and smash the garlic cloves against the side of the pan with a fork. Add about 3/4ths of the green onions and cilantro, reserving the rest for garnish. Gently stir and fluff the rice with a fork. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper, if necessary.
• Transfer the rice and lentil mixture to a large serving platter or bowl. Top with the caramelized onions and the remaining green onions and cilantro. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature, with yogurt and spicy sauce (optional) on the side.

CURRIED RICE PILAF WITH RED LENTILS

Steps:

• In a medium sauce pan with a tight fitting lid, heat oil over medium high heat.
• Add onion, garlic and ginger and sauté for three minutes.
• Add dry rice and dry lentils and sauté for two minutes.
• Reduce heat to medium and add fresh tomato, garam masala and curry paste and stir and cook for one minute.
• Add cilantro, coconut milk and water and raise heat to high.
• Bring to a boil, cover and lower heat to low.
• Cook covered for 20 minutes.
• Remove from heat and add salt and pepper, stir and let sit covered for five minutes.
• Serve with additional chopped cilantro.

EAST INDIAN SPLIT PEA PILAF

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, combine peas and 4 cups water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30-35 minutes or until tender. Drain and keep warm., In a large nonstick skillet, cook the bay leaf in oil until golden, about 3 minutes. Add onion; saute until tender. Stir in the seasonings; saute for 30 seconds. Add the rice; cook and stir for 3 minutes. Stir in broth and remaining water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until rice is tender. Add peas; heat through. Discard bay leaf.

LENTIL CURRY WITH RICE & SPLIT PEA

Steps:

• Wash and soak your lentils, split peas, and rice in a single large bowl of at least 10h. Make sure to add a lot of water as these are going to swell and double the volume.
• Place a big saucepan on medium heat and bring all the dry spices and leaves, cover and stir now and then for about 5 mins.
• Meanwhile, chop the onions, mince the ginger, turmeric, and garlic. Bring them in the pan and give them a stir for 2 mins before adding the coconut oil and stir again. cover them and let them cook for 8 mins on medium heat as you keep on stirring.
• Rince the legumes and drain the water.
• Bring them in the pan, stir everything together, then cover with some boiling water. The water should be covering about 2 cm above the legumes.
• Increase the heat till the boiling takes place then reduce to medium high heat
• Cover and let this cook for about 12 minutes on medium heat, you keep on stirring now and then, BUT YOU MUST BE VERY GENTLE when STIRRING.
• In between, add any cream of your choice, I added my yummy creamy carrot sauce.
• During this time, rinse out your spinach, cut them into halves if you've big leaves. wipe your mushrooms with a kitchen paper to wipe off any soil. Cut them into desired size.
• Add salt, peppers and turn off the heat.
• Add the mushrooms and the spinach, fold them in GENTLY, Cover, and leave the meal to cool for about 10 mins then serve and enjoy your lentil curry with rice & split peas.
• NOTE; since the legumes are already soft and swollen, they're not going to take long to cook, so don't overload them with water unless you want a lot of sauce which we can say soup!

RICE COOKER PILAF WITH BROWN RICE, LENTILS, AND WILD RICE

Steps:

• Remove the inner pot from the rice cooker.
• Place the rices and lentils in a sieve, rinse under running water.
• Add the onion, the rices, and the lentils to the inner pot. Add the water, the pepper, the cardamom, and the chicken bouillon granules. Stir ingredients.
• Return inner pot to rice cooker and press "cook." If pilaf is not sufficiently done after it switches from "cook" to "warm," re-close the rice cooker and keep on "warm" for another 5-10 minutes. Cooking time should be approximately 45 minutes, your rice cooker may vary.

RICE PILAF WITH LENTILS AND SPLIT PEAS

Steps:

• Spray a heavy, wide pan with a tight-fitting lid with non-stick cooking spray. Add onion, garlic and salt. Sweat until aromatic, stirring constantly.
• Add rice and stir to coat. Continue stirring until rice smells nutty.
• Add water, sesame oil, bouilion cubes, lentils, peas, spices and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand 5 to 10 minutes.
• Remove Bay leaf.
• Fluff with a fork, Mix in pine nuts and celery. Serve.

RICE PILAF WITH PEAS AND ALMONDS

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add shallot and cook until softened, 3 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring, until fragrant and toasted, 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and add bay leaf and hot water. Bring to a boil over high; reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook 15 minutes. Add peas and almonds. Cover and cook until peas are warm and water is absorbed, 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve.