Lentil and rice with caramelized onions and cucumber yogurt sauce
Curries With Bumbi · ♥ 11.6K likes · 373.7K views · 10 min video
Read about lentils in the BrightCulinary Book
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Ingredients
Method
Techniques
- 200 g whole brown lentils
- 200 g long-grained basmati rice
- 350 g onions
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 90 g carrots
- 10 g ginger
- 20 g garlic
- 2 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 72 g green beans
- 1 tsp garam masala powder
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup cucumber
- 5–6 leaves mint leaves
- 2 whole green chillies
- boiling hot water
Pick over the lentils for stones, rinse, and soak in boiling hot water 2 to 3 hours, or in cold water overnight.
Rinse the basmati rice, changing the water several times until it runs clear, to remove surface starch; soak 30 minutes.
Thinly slice the onions to an equal thickness so they brown evenly and none burn bitter.
In a wide heavy-bottomed pan, add the onions to the oil before it is hot, add a sprinkle of salt and fry on medium-high, spreading and stirring.
- salt
When the edges brown, drop to medium-low and stir frequently, then continuously as they darken; about 25 minutes to deep golden.
Turn off the heat; lift out half the onions, squeezing out the oil, and spread on a paper towel to crisp, leaving the rest in the pan.
Heat back to medium; add the carrots, then finely chopped ginger and garlic; stir 2 to 3 minutes.
Aromatics, spices and lentils
On the lowest heat add Kashmiri chilli powder, ground coriander and cumin; stir a second, add tomato paste and stir a few seconds.
- 5 cup hot water
Add the drained lentils, mix on medium heat, add 5 cups hot water; at a boil cover on medium-low about 10 minutes.
- salt
Fry the green beans separately with some salt on medium heat, then cover a few minutes until tender with a little crunch.
Taste the lentils: still chewy with the outside softening. Add half a tablespoon of salt, taste the water, add up to half a tablespoon more.
Salting the water and cooking the rice
Add garam masala, cover and cook on very low heat 15 minutes, plugging any lid vent with aluminum foil.
- 4 tbsp plain unflavored yogurt
Yogurt sauce: whisk the yogurt smooth; mix in black pepper, salt, a little sugar, chopped cucumber and parsley.
- sugar
- parsley
Gently loosen the rice; it is done when tender with no water at the bottom, otherwise 5 more minutes.
- coriander leaves
- fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp ghee
Off the heat, add torn mint, green chillies, coriander leaves, lemon juice and optional ghee; mix gently, cover and rest at least 15 minutes.
Serve with the fried green beans, crispy onions and coriander leaves on top.
Serving with crispy toppings