Rice and Lentils

There are many variations on rice and lentils from India through the Middle East. Onions and carrots make the base, and are both native to the region. The spices here are simple, just cumin and coriander, bay leaf, and a pinch of turmeric and salt.

Ingredients
BASE
1/2 onion, sliced thin
1 carrot, chopped small
SPICE
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp cumin, ground
1/2 tsp coriander, ground
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp turmeric
MAIN
3/4 cup brown rice, soaked
1/4 cup lentils, soaked (whole brown or red lentils)
FINISH
1/2 lemon juice

Preparation
Prep: Soak lentils & rice.
Base: Brown and saute the onion & carrot. Result should be moist, not wet. This base gets added to the rice and lentils, along with spices, and it's flavor gets absorbed.
Main: Mix veggie base, ground spices, rice & lentils in pot or rice cooker, with water. Bring to boil, then simmer covered, 20-30 min, then remove heat, and continue steam covered, 10-15 min.
Finish: Adjust taste with lemon juice and garnish with fresh coriander leaves.

Green Pea Rice Pilaf

Rice dish that gets flavor from brown onions and spices. Especially easy if you make brown onions in batches. Just add some fresh or frozen peas.

Ingredients
1 cup brown rice soaked
1/2 onion chopped
1 cup water
1/4 cup peas
1 tsp garam masala
1/8 tsp salt
1 tbsp lemon juice

Preparation
Prepare by soaking brown rice, 2 hrs. Wash and drain.
In saucepan, brown onion, 10-20 min. Brown onions should be moist with most of moisture removed, so they neither add nor subtract water to the rice. (Cumin seed is a simple substitution for garam masala.)
To rice cooker, add rice, onion, peas, spices and water. Start cooking, 35-45 min. Salt to taste.
Drizzle lemon juice to taste and fluff with fork.

Carrot Rice

Very fragrant and tasty, dressed up with almonds and golden raisins.

Ingredients

1 cup brown rice soaked

1/4 cup slivered almonds

1 onion chopped

2 carrots grated

2 inch cinnamon ground

2 pods green cardamoms ground

1 pod black cardamom ground

2-3 bay leaves ground

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup water

1/4 cup golden raisins

handful cilantro

Preparation

Prepare by soaking brown rice at least 2 hours. Wash and drain.

In saucepan, brown onions, 5 min. Add carrots and saute, 5 min. Meanwhile, use spice grinder to grind cinnamon, cardamoms and bay leaves. In another saucepan, lightly toast almonds, until golden brown. Set aside.

In rice cooker, combine rice, carrot base, spices, raisins, almonds and water. Ratio of rice to water is important. Turn on rice cooker. Rice cooker automatically boils and cooks until water is gone, 30 min, then steams warm, 15 min. After steaming 15 min, open lid and stir.

Garnish with cilantro leaves and serve.

Tomato Rice

This is a pilaf (pullao), where the rice soaks and cooks in broth, infusing the broth flavors into the rice.

Ingredients

1 medium onion

2 medium tomatoes

1 tbsp tomato puree

1 cup brown rice soaked 2 hr

1 tsp cumin seed ground

1 tsp fennel seed ground

1/4 tsp chili pepper ground

1/2 tsp black pepper ground

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup water

1 tsp lemon juice

handful fresh coriander

Preparation

Plan ahead and soak brown rice 2 hrs. Wash and drain.

Brown onion, 5 min. Meanwhile, in spice grinder, grind cumin seed, fennel seed, red chili pepper and black pepper. Add tomatoes, tomato puree, spices, salt and water, simmer 5 min. Remove from heat, and use stick blender to blend smooth.

In rice cooker, mix the brown rice and the blended base, and start rice cooker cooking. The water measured and added to the base needs to be just the correct ratio for the rice cooker. Typically, for soaked brown rice this will be 1 cup rice to 1 cup water. The rice cooker will automatically boil and simmer the rice 30 min, then switch to warm and steam the rice 15 min.

If using a pan, mix brown rice into blended base and bring to boil, then turn down heat to simmer and cover with lid, and cook 30 min. After 30 min, without removing lid, remove from heat and allow to steam 15 min.

Add touch of lemon juice to taste, garnish with fresh coriander and serve.