Indian Style Lentils and Rice (Sabut Masoor Khichdi)|Meatless Monday
Today is Terra Madre Day, Terra Madre means “Mother Earth”. To celebrate, join me and The Kitchen Docs in supporting tasty solutions to climate change. I am participating in Food for Change Meal with Camellia Beans and Meatless Monday. Slow Food USA invited me to contribute a recipe and to come to the table to celebrate Food for Change! This recipe of Indian style Lentils and Rice, popularly known as Khichdi is a perfect example of a nutritionally balanced plant based meal made with ingredients grown and produced in climate-friendly ways.
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As responsible citizens of our planet earth, we need to act together as a global network and pivot towards more sustainable food production and farming systems, and achieve a climate friendly future. Food is a cause and victim of climate change, but also a delicious solution. This year, SlowFoodUSA has focused on the positive solutions of Slow Food to connect the dots between farmers and consumers as the everyday climate champions.
Recipe rundown
Most traditional recipes of khichdis involve cooking rice and lentils together in a pressure cooker using a plenty of water to ensure a flowy consistency. This recipe of Indian style lentils and rice or sabut masoor khichdi is slightly different. It is made with whole masoor lentils (brown skinned lentils that you can find in a regular grocery store).
To give the recipe a head-start I par-cooked the lentils with plenty of water for 15-20 minutes. Then I drained the lentils to use in the khichdi. While the lentils are cooking, you can get started on the khichdi. Prepare a masala by sauteeing some onions, freshly minced ginger (if store bought ginger paste is your jam, feel free to use that) and tomatoes along with Indian spices. This recipe of Indian style lentils and rice uses coriander powder, turmeric and roasted cumin powder. I strongly recommend fresh roasted cumin powder. You can find all about these spices in this post.
Toast some basmati rice with the masala before adding the cooked lentils, raisins and fried onions. Add plenty of water and cook till done. Garnish with cilantro, more fried onions and a squeeze of lime. Mike-drop!
Here is a handy dandy printable
Indian Style Lentils and Rice – Sabut Masoor Khichdi
A plant based, nutritionally balanced dish of Indian style lentils and rice that is a complete meal in itself. Fried onions and plump golden raisins add a ton of flavor.
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown lentils sabut masoor
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- A pinch asafoetida optional
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1/2 white onion sliced
- 1 tbsp fresh minced ginger see notes
- 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tbsp coriander powder
- 1 tbsp roasted cumin powder
- 1 roma tomato diced
- 1 cup basmati rice
- 1/4 cup raisins
- 3/4 cup fried onions see notes
- 10 sprigs cilantro leaves stripped and chopped
- 1/2 lime juiced
- Water
- Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
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Set a medium saucepan on medium high heat and add the lentils to it.
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Add about 2.5 cups of water, bay leaf and a generous pinch of salt. Cover the pan, increase the heat to high and bring to a boil.
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Once boiling, turn the heat to simmer/low and cook for 20 minutes (use a timer). After 20 minutes, drain the lentils in a sieve or colander and set aside.
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While the lentils are about 10 minutes into cooking, set a heavy bottomed pan (that has a lid) on medium high heat.
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Add oil and wait for it to get shiny. Now add asafoetida (if using) and cumin seeds. Wait for the cumin seeds to start dancing around in the oil.
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Add the sliced onions, a pinch of salt and cook for a minute or two.
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Now add the ginger and turmeric, coriander and roasted cumin powder.
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Cook for another 2 minutes before adding the diced roma tomato. Stir and cook for a minute. Add the raisins, 1/2 cup fried onions and mix.
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Add the rice and and cook, stirring often (gently so you don’t break the rice) until slightly toasted and opaque. About two minutes.
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Now add the cooked lentils, 2 cups of water and salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste; bring to a boil.
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Turn the heat down to low so that the pan is at a simmer, cover and cook 25 minutes. The water should be completely evaporated and rice should be tender. See notes.
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Turn the heat off, add cilantro, lime juice and rest of the fried onions. Keep the lid on and let the rice rest for five minutes.
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After five minutes, gently fluff the lentils and rice with a fork. Serve warm with yogurt.
Recipe Notes
Feel free to use store-bought ginger paste if you cannot find fresh ginger.
Fried onions are easily available at Indian grocery stores. French fried onions, found in most American grocery stores can also be used.
If there seems to be water in the rice at end of the cooking time, cover and cook for additional five minutes.
So this Terra Madre day, choose climate-friendly foods, try this recipe at home, and tag your dish with #FoodforChange and #MeatlessMonday on social media. Let us spread the word and do our part!
Other recipes to make with lentils
Protein Rich Quinoa and Lentil Salad
Love – Vaishali.
Disclaimer: Slow Food USA provided me with Camellia beans for this project. This post may contain affiliate links.
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Kevin Costner Reid
January 17, 2019 at 2:38 pmThanks for sharing this wonderful piece of information online and I really hope you write more like this one.
Vaishali
January 17, 2019 at 3:16 pmThanks for your kind words Kevin!
Aldon
January 22, 2019 at 7:23 amI would love to try this recipes at home. Please share more! Thanks
Evelyn Scott
January 22, 2019 at 8:26 amOO this looks tasty. I’m a huge fan of lentils 🙂 I will definitely investigate Slow Foods too.
maria
January 22, 2019 at 9:01 amI’m slowly starting to love indian food. My workmate makes delicious dishes and bring it to work for everyone to try. I will definitely show this recipe to her so we can taste it.
Luna S
January 22, 2019 at 11:50 amMmmm this looks delicious! I like that it is meat free.
Cassie
January 22, 2019 at 12:37 pmWow this sounds mouthwatering! I can’t wait to make it
Neil Alvin Nicerio
January 22, 2019 at 7:27 pmThat looks so mouthwatering. 🙂 I would surely love to taste that dish. 🙂 Thank you for sharing.
jeferson
January 23, 2019 at 5:32 amfood is cause and victim of climate change and a delicious solutions…..I like it…. we can bring change really to help Earth…..
Keshia Richmond
January 23, 2019 at 8:29 amIndian style Lentils and Rice, popularly known as Khichdi seems like an interesting dish to try and to share for earth day.
aisasami
January 23, 2019 at 8:41 amWow, this looks like a perfect dinner recipe! I have to try this!
Lisa
January 23, 2019 at 12:37 pmWe eat a lot of lentils in Italy. I’ve never tried an Indian version, but it looks delicious!
Samar
January 23, 2019 at 12:46 pmMay be you should treat your fellow bloggers some of it 🙂 haha
Awesome recipe 😀
Adharsh
January 23, 2019 at 12:54 pmGonna suggest this to my mom. Hope she makes this for me. Thanks for sharing.
maysz
January 23, 2019 at 8:36 pmI love rice and this Indian Style Lentils and Rice looks yummy and delicious I should try this . Thanks for sharing.
balir villanueva
January 23, 2019 at 10:52 pmOh my, your recipe is making me super hungry now. I like it and looks delicious 😀
Glorious Heights
January 24, 2019 at 6:41 amSuch a nutritional meal and meatless.. Great for my half vegetarian family.. I will definitely try it at home! thanks for sharing 👍🏻
Honest Reader
January 24, 2019 at 7:56 amThis looks so delicious. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Latoyia
January 24, 2019 at 4:32 pmThis post made me hungry! Looks delicious.
Dan @ Style High Guy
January 25, 2019 at 5:34 amThis has made my mouth water. My partner loves indian style food so i’m thinking i may have to give this a go!
Elizabeth O
January 25, 2019 at 6:35 amRice and beans is fairly popular around the globe so, it’s a perfect dish for Mother Earth day.
siennylovesdrawing
January 25, 2019 at 11:39 pmVery lovely post, love all the beautiful captures shared here, great recipe shared & am gonna try making myslef. thanks for this great sharing ya 😀 cheers, siennylovesdrawing
Sheena Moncatar
January 26, 2019 at 1:16 amAdding to the fact that I am such a great fan of your blog, I also like your outlook in life. I agree, that we should work hard on sustainable food production and farming systems. Thanks as always kitchendocs for sharing such fantastic recipes. 5 STAR!
Oscar
January 29, 2019 at 3:55 pmThanks for sharing this wonderful piece of information online and I really hope you write more like this one. Gonna suggest this to my mom, and hoping that she would try it once 🙂