Whole Brown Lentil with Rice Recipe (Pressure Cooker Method With Tempering)

I make this whole brown lentil with rice recipe in two parts: first, I add lentils into the pressure cooker with a basic spice base, and the rice cooks separately, and then you finish everything with a tempering of hot oil, garlic, onion, cumin seeds, and dried red chilies poured onto the lentils.

For doing all that, it took me around 45 minutes, and it can serve 3 to 4 people easily.

Ingredients

For the Lentils

• 250g whole brown lentils (washed, not soaked)
• 2 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp salt
• 10 to 12 green chilies
• 1 Indian bay leaf
• Half-inch cinnamon stick
• Water (3 inches above the lentils in the cooker)

For the Rice

• 500g basmati rice (soaked 1 hour before cooking)
• Double water ratio
• Less than 1 tsp salt

For the Tempering

• 50g oil
• 5 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• Half a medium onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp cumin seeds
• 3 dried red chilies, broken by hand

To Serve

• Fresh coriander leaves
• Sliced raw onion

Soak the Rice (Skip the Lentil Soak)

You have to soak rice in water for at least 1 hour before you start cooking.

Soaked rice takes less time on the flame, which saves gas, and the grains come out separate and clean, which you’d want to achieve.

But don’t soak lentils at all; you’ll add them straight into the pressure cooker, which does all the work.

So you have to wash them well, through 3 to 4 changes of water, until it’s clear.

Make the Spice Base, Then Close the Lid

Add the washed lentils into the pressure cooker and pour in water until it sits about 3 inches above them.

After that, add the spice base into the water: 2 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp salt, all the green chilies, the bay leaf, and the cinnamon stick.

I keep the green chilies whole here; cutting them releases too much heat too fast, and you lose the gradual spice that builds while the lentils cook.

And I used bay leaf and cinnamon for background warmth.

Close the lid and cook on medium flame; you want 4 to 5 whistles.

After the last whistle, let the pressure drop on its own before you open it.

Then the lentils will finish their cooking cycle while the pressure is high inside.

Cook the Rice Separately

While the pressure cooker is going, drain the soaked rice and move it to a cooking pot.

Add water at around double the rice volume (with soaked rice, you can go a little under double since the grains have already absorbed some water during soaking).

Add less than 1 tsp salt, cover with a lid, and cook on medium flame for about 15 minutes.

It’ll be done when all the water is absorbed, and the grains look separate and cooked through.

Tip: Don’t keep lifting the lid to check, because the steam is doing the work and you’ll lose it every time you open it.

Make the Tempering

Tempering will give you most of the flavor, so you have to fry spices in hot oil for a couple of minutes, then pour that oil onto the cooked lentils while it’s still sizzling.

The heat will carry the spice flavor straight through the lentils.

So once the pressure drops and you’ve opened the cooker, check the lentils. They should be fully soft but should be able to hold their shape (but like a paste).

Then set them aside while you get the tempering going, and have your ingredients ready before the oil goes on the heat because once it starts, it moves fast.

Heat 50g of oil in a small pan on medium flame. When the oil is visibly hot (it shimmers and moves freely in the pan), add the 5 chopped garlic cloves.

Fry for about 30 seconds; you’ll want them just starting to go golden, not brown.

Add the chopped half onion and cook for another 30 seconds, then add the tablespoon of cumin seeds and keep stirring continuously for about 1.5 minutes.

Cumin needs that time on the heat to release its oils properly; you’ll hear the sizzle pick up, and the smell shifts to that toasted, warm cumin scent.

Add the 3 dried red chilies (broken into pieces by hand before they go in), stir for 30 seconds, and immediately pour the whole tempering over the cooked lentils.

Mix it in, and the lentils are done.

How I Serve the Lentils with Rice

Plate the rice separately or put it alongside the lentils. I add fresh coriander leaves on top and put sliced raw onion on the side.

I like raw onion because it cuts right through the richness of the lentils and the hot spiced oil.

Plus, it changes the balance of the whole plate in a way that cooked onion doesn’t.

Eat while everything is still warm.

Ingredient Swaps

No Whole Brown Lentils

Whole masoor works with exactly the same method. It’s the brown-skinned version of the red lentil, and it cooks faster in the pressure cooker, so go with 3 to 4 whistles instead of 4 to 5.

Split masoor dal (the orange one, no skin) also works, but it breaks down fast, and the texture ends up more like a soup.

No Basmati

You can use regular long-grain rice, but keep the soaking step either way since it helps any variety cook faster and separate better.

Different Tempering

If you want a sharper, more intense version, double the garlic to 10 cloves and leave out the onion.

The flavor will change; I’ve tried both, and the garlic-only version works really well with these lentils.

Spice Level

This recipe is on the spicier side because that’s how I make it.

If you want less heat, drop the green chilies to 4 or 5 in the lentil base and use 1 dried red chili in the tempering instead of 3.

If You Don’t Have a Pressure Cooker

The pressure cooker is the fastest way to cook this lentils and rice recipe, but you can make it without a cooker too.

Use a regular pot with a lid instead; add the washed lentils with the same spice base and the same water level (3 inches above the lentils), bring it to a boil, then drop the flame to low and keep the lid on.

It will take 45 to 60 minutes; you’ll want to check every 15 minutes and add water if the level drops.

Follow the other steps as I mentioned, including the tempering at the end.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is whole brown lentil called in South Asian cooking?

Whole brown lentil is called sabut masoor in South Asian cooking. It’s the same lentil as masoor dal but with the skin left on.

The skin gives it a firmer texture and a more earthy flavor than the split version.

You’ll find it labeled as whole masoor, sabut masoor, or sometimes whole red lentil depending on the store.

Can I cook the lentils and rice together in the same pot?

You can, but the timing will be against you. Rice cooks faster than whole brown lentils, so if you combine them, the rice will be overcooked and mushy before the lentils are done.

Cooking them separately will give you control over both, and the result will be much better.

Do these lentils reheat well the next day?

Yes, you may even find it better than a lot of dishes, because by then, lentils absorb the tempering flavors, so the next day it’s often more flavorful than fresh.

But make sure to add a small splash of water when reheating on the stove because they thicken up as they sit.

My tempering smells burnt even though I followed the timing?

There’s a high chance that your oil was too hot when the garlic went in, or you kept the flame too high through the whole process.

The timings in this recipe (30 seconds for garlic, 1.5 minutes for cumin) work on a medium flame, not high.

On a high flame, those same timings will burn everything.

If your garlic went dark and bitter, leave that tempering and start again with cooler oil.

What can I use instead of whole brown lentils?

Yes, you can use Whole masoor and go with the same method and a little shorter cooking time (3 to 4 whistles).

If you only have split masoor dal (the orange one), it works, but the texture will be much softer and soupier, closer to a thin dal than this recipe.

Whole green lentils (sabut moong) can also be used, but they take a bit longer, around 5 to 6 whistles.

Can I add vegetables to this?

You can add chopped spinach or fenugreek leaves into the lentils in the last 5 minutes after the pressure drops; just stir them in and put the lid back for a few minutes without pressure.

Plus, you can have diced potatoes or carrots; put them into the pressure cooker with the lentils from the start.

I make it plain, but adding spinach is okay, especially with the tempering.