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Whole Brown Lentil with Rice Recipe

Whole Brown Lentil with Rice Recipe

Whole brown lentils pressure cooked with a simple spice base, served alongside separately cooked basmati rice, and finished with a hot oil tempering of garlic, onion, cumin seeds, and dried red chilies poured directly over the lentils.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 55 minutes
Servings: 4 People
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian, Pakistani
Calories: 800
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Lentils
  • 250 g whole brown lentils washed, not soaked
  • 2 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 10 to 12 green chilies whole, not chopped
  • 1 Indian bay leaf
  • Half inch cinnamon stick
  • Water enough to sit 3 inches above the lentils
For the Rice
  • 500 g basmati rice soaked 1 hour before cooking
  • Water slightly under double the rice volume
  • Less than 1 tsp salt
For the Tempering
  • 50 g cooking 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

Method
 

Soak the Rice:
  1. Soak basmati rice in water for at least 1 hour before you start cooking.
  2. No soaking needed for lentils. Wash them through 3 to 4 changes of water until it runs mostly clear.
Cook the Lentils:
  1. Add washed lentils to pressure cooker. Pour in water until it sits 3 inches above the lentils.
  2. Add turmeric, salt, green chilies (whole), bay leaf, and cinnamon stick directly into the water.
  3. Close the lid and cook on medium flame for 4 to 5 whistles.
  4. Let pressure drop on its own before opening. Do not force it.
Cook the Rice:
  1. Drain soaked rice and move to a cooking pot.
  2. Add water at slightly under double the rice volume. Add less than 1 tsp salt.
  3. Cover and cook on medium flame for about 15 minutes until all water is absorbed and grains are separate.
Make the Tempering:
  1. Keep all ingredients ready before the oil goes on heat. It moves fast once started.
  2. Heat 50g oil in a small pan on medium flame until hot and shimmering.
  3. Add chopped garlic. Fry for 30 seconds until just starting to go golden.
  4. Add chopped onion. Cook for another 30 seconds.
  5. Add cumin seeds. Stir continuously for about 1.5 minutes until toasted and fragrant.
  6. Add broken dried red chilies. Stir for 30 seconds.
  7. Pour the whole tempering immediately over the cooked lentils. Mix in.
Serve:
  1. Plate lentils alongside the rice.
  2. Top with fresh coriander leaves. Serve with sliced raw onion on the side.

Notes

Water level in the pressure cooker matters. Too little and the cooker runs dry before the lentils finish. Too much and the lentils come out thin and watery. Keep it at 3 inches above the lentils.