Servings: 6
Calories: 521kcal
Ingredients
- 250 ml sunflower oil
- 4 medium onions thinly sliced
- 250 grams green or brown lentils
- 2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1½ tbsp coriander seeds
- 200 grams basmati rice
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 1½ tsp ground allspice
- 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp sugar
- Salt and black pepper
- 350 ml water
Instructions
- Place the lentils in a small saucepan, cover with plenty of water, bring to a boil and cook for 12-15 minutes, or until the lentils have softened but still have a little bite. Drain into a colander.
- Peel the onions and slice thinly. sprinkle with the flour and 1 tsp of the salt. using your hands gently mix until the onion is evenly coated with the flour. Heat the sunflower oil in a medium-size heavy-based saucepan over high heat. Test the oil by throwing in a piece of the onion, it should sizzle vigorously. reduce the heat to medium -high and, carefully add a third of the sliced onion. Fry for five to seven minutes, stirring occasionally with a slotted spoon, until the onion takes on a nice, golden-brown colour and turns crispy. Use the spoon to transfer the onion to a colander and sprinkle with a little more salt salt. Repeat with two more batches of onion, adding more oil if needed.
- Wipe clean the saucepan in which you fried the onion and drop in the cumin and coriander seeds. Place over a medium heat and toast the seeds for a minute or two, until they release those distinctive aromas. Add the rice, olive oil, turmeric, allspice, cinnamon, sugar, half a teaspoon of salt and plenty of black pepper. Stir to coat the rice with oil, then add the cooked lentils and water. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer on very low heat for 15 minutes.
- Remove from the heat, lift off the lid and cover the pan with a clean tea towel. Seal tightly with the lid and set aside for 10 minutes. Finally, tip the rice and lentils into a large mixing bowl. Add half the fried onion and stir gently with a fork. Pile up in a shallow serving bowl and top with the rest of the onion.
Nutrition
Calories: 521kcal | Carbohydrates: 61g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 20g | Sodium: 12mg | Potassium: 583mg | Fiber: 15g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 30IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 75mg | Iron: 4mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!