Tag Archives: red lentils

Jun19

Brown Rice and Red Lentils with Raisins and Curry Leaves

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Brown Rice and Red Lentils with Raisins and Curry Leaves

I’ve never put together this particular combination together before.  I was adding spices as I went along. The combination of the brown rice and red lentils  go pretty well together because they cook for the same amount of time.  The red lentils almost disappear, adding a richness to the texture of the rice. It had a nutty flavor from the rice and a touch of sweetness from the raisins that goes really well with the cardamom flavors.  A great rice dish that goes with so many proteins like pork chops, gola kabobs (that’s how we ate them) and as a light meal by itself.

Brown rice and red lentils

Saute onion with curry leaves, cardamoms and cumin seeds

Add in raisins

Add rice and lentils

Serve with Gola Kabobs

Brown Rice and Red Lentils with Raisins and Curry Leaves

2 cups brown rice

1 cup red lentil

1/2 onion, chopped

4 tsp oil

12-15 fresh curry leaves

4 whole cloves

1/3 cup raisins

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cumin seeds

4-5 green cardamoms

3 black cardamoms

4 1/2 cups water

Wash lentils and brown rice and pick out any weird stuff.  In a large sauce pan heat oil and add onions.  Saute a few minutes and add all the remaining ingredients except for rice and lentils.  Stir fry for abut 2-3 minutes then add the rice and lentils.  Add 4 1/2 cups water and bring to a simmer.  Cover and let it cook over low heat until all the water is absorbed and rice and lentils are tender.  Serve with Gola Kabobs.

May2

Misti Kumro Daal ~ Kabocha squash and red lentil daal

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Misti Kumro Daal ~ Kabocha squash and red lentil daal

What Bengalis like to call Misti Kumro (translation:  sweet pumpkin) is actually a squash.  Kabocha squash.  If you’ve never tried this variety of squash, its delicious.  I love it because you can eat the WHOLE THING.  The skin, the flesh and even roast the seeds and eat them for a snack.  Talk about a sustainable food.  It’s chock full of nutrients like beta carotene, iron, vitamin C and potassium. Long before this squash was available in the U.S. they were grown in parts of South Asia.  Because it is such a sweet squash you can add more chili in the cooking process and get a wonderful sweet/hot dish.  I enjoy making this daal because when you add the lentils the nutrient content skyrockets even more and you can eat it as a soup or with rice (I’m Asian, I eat most things with rice).

Five seeds in Panch Phoron are: Mustard, Cumin, Fennel, Fenugreek and Kalonji

Kabocha Squash or Misti Kumro

Saute onions and Panch Phoron together until the seeds begin popping

Add all the other spices to the onion and Panch Phoron mixture before adding the Kabocha squash and red lentils

Add 2 cups of water and let it simmer, covered for about 6-8 minutes

Add the light coconut milk at the end and cook an additional 2-3 minutes

Add chopped cilantro at the very end and enjoy the daal

Misti Kumro Daal

4 cups cubed Kabocha squash – leave the skin on

1 cup red lentils, washed thoroughly

1/2 red onion, chopped

1 tsp salt (or adjust to taste)

1 1/2 tsp red chili powder

1/2 tsp turmeric

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp Panch Phoron (Bengali Five Spice)

2 bay leaves

1 can lite coconut milk

2 cups water

3 tbsp oil

2 tbsp chopped cilantro

In a large heavy bottom pan saute the onion in oil along with Panch Phoron and salt. After seeds begin to pop, add in bay leaves, chili powder, turmeric and cumin.  Saute for about two minutes so the flavors can marry.  Add the squash and the lentils and stir to coat thoroughly.  Add the water.  Cover and simmer for about 6-8 minutes or until the lentils and the squash are tender.  Add in coconut milk and cook another 2-3 minutes uncovered.  Add chopped cilantro right before taking off the heat.  Serve with rice or eat as a soup.