Are you looking for easy lentils and rice recipe? How to cook one pot Mediterranean meals with rice and lentils? Nutritious grains play a big role in the Mediterranean diet and it not only entails healthful, quick to prepare meals, but also tantalizingly wonderful ones!

This recipe is inspired by Mujadara and a combination of few Mediterranean recipes (however, I have added Ginger because of it's various health benefits especially with digestion).

This vegan Mediterranean inspired rice and lentils recipe uses basmati rice, lentils, and seasoning to create a quick, easy, and flavorful dish that can be prepared in one pot and is great as a main or side dish. Lentils are considered a superfood. Although they may appear to be little beans to some, these are quite potent legumes. They're high in protein, fiber, and heart-healthy fats. Dieters can delay the rate at which sugars in the circulation are absorbed by eating lentils with rice.

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▶️ INGREDIENTS: (4 to 5 servings)

1 Cup / 200g BROWN LENTILS ONLY (washed and soaked in water for at least 4 to 6 hours (or overnight) until the lentils are very tender)
(NOTE: Some brown lentils are more dry than the others and therefore need more soaking time. How to know if the lentils are soaked well? You should be able to cut a lentil piece with your nails, effortlessly. If not, then soak it longer)

1 Cup /200g BASMATI Rice (thoroughly washed/soaked in water for 20 minutes)
3 Cup / 400g Chopped Onions - 2 medium size onions (430g with skin on)
1 Tablespoon ginger (very finely chopped)
1 Tablespoon garlic (very finely chopped)
3/4 Cup Strained Tomatoes / Passata
1 Teaspoon Ground Cumin
1 Teaspoon Ground Coriander
1/4 to 1/2 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper OR to taste (Optional)
Salt to taste (I have added total 1+1/2 teaspoon of pink Himalayan salt)
2 Cups / 475ml Water

Garnish:
3/4 cup / 70g Parsley (finely chopped)
Freshly Ground Black Pepper to taste (I have added 1/2 teaspoon)
Lemon or Lime juice to taste (I have added 1+1/2 tablespoon lemon juice, I like it a bit sour)
Extra Virgin Olive oil (I have added 2 tablespoons of organic cold-pressed olive oil)

▶️ METHOD:

Wash and soak the brown lentils for at least 4 to 6 hours (or overnight) until the lentils are very tender.
[PLEASE NOTE: Some brown lentils are more dry than the others and there need more soaking time. How to know if the lentils are soaked well? You could should be able to cut a lentil piece with your nails, effortlessly. If not, soak it longer]

Thoroughly wash the rice until the water runs clear, this will get rid of any impurities and gunk (it's an important step so do not skip it). Soak for about 20 minutes.

Heat a pan, add cooking oil, onion and 1/2 tsp salt. Adding salt to the onions will help release water and help it cook faster. Fry the onion on medium-high heat until it starts to caramelize. Once caramelized, reduce the heat to medium to medium-low heat (depending on the heat of your stove) and add finely chopped ginger and garlic. Fry until onions are nicely browned (be careful not to burn the onion).

Once the onion is caramelized, add the strained tomatoes/passata and the spices. Give it a good mix. Now drain and rinse the lentils/drain the rice. Add it to the pot along with the salt and water. Cover and bring to a vigorous boil. Once it starts boiling, reduce the heat to low and cook for about 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, uncover and check to see if the rice and lentils are cooked (it should be cooked by now, if its not, cover and cook it for a bit longer). Now continue cooking UNCOVER for another 1 to 2 minutes on low heat to get rid of any excess moisture. Turn off the heat.

Add parsley, lemon juice, black pepper and drizzle of olive oil. Mix gently, the rice is delicate at this point and we don't want to break it. Cover and let it sit for 5 minutes before serving (for flavors to blend)

Stores well in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. It's perfect for meal planning.

IMPORTANT TIPS:

- Soak lentils until they are very tender. The soaking time depends on the quality of the lentils. Some brown lentils are more dry than the others and therefore needs more soaking time.

- How to know if the lentils are soaked well? You should be able to cut a lentil piece with your nails, effortlessly. If not, then soak it longer

- Its really important that the lentils soaks well. The reason is to match the cooking time of the lentil with the rice. This will prevent the rice from getting mushy

- Caramelize the onion well, this adds a lot of flavor to this dish

Enjoy!

Thanks for watching the video One Pot Mediterranean Lentil and Rice Recipe (Plant-Based) | Easy One Pot Vegan Recipes

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