Himalayan Red Rice and Lentils with Spiced Vegetables
Himalayan Red Rice
I am trying to incorporate more vegetables and whole grain foods into my diet, truth be told I have never been a fan of brown rice. I saw this himalayan red rice at a specialty store and it intrigued me. I looks like Basmati rice only red, very delicate grains long and slender, so I bought it wondering what I can make with it. This recipe came to me from my desire to use my red rice but also I had some veggies in the crisper that I really needed to use. I wanted the rice to be a meal so added some lentils that cooked in with the rice, I had some tri color carrots and scallions begging to be used right away so I shaved the carrots into strips and sliced the light part of the the scallion and sauteed in olive oil with some cumin and coriander. I topped it with some plain greek yogurt mixed with some dried mint and put a generous amount of crispy fried shallots on top. You can use whatever vegetables you like, but the carrots and onions in the spices are a wonderful combination and the yogurt makes it creamy and tangy. The rice has a lot of character, its toothsome yet still delicate. By all means use whatever rice you have or want, the red rice is a suggestion.
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
1 cup himalayan red rice
2 cups water
salt
1/3 cup lentils
2 medium size carrots shaved
4 scallions
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp coriander
1 shallot thinly sliced
plain greek yogurt
dried mint
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
In medium saucepan add the water, rice and lentils and some salt. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer, cover and let cook for 35 minutes. Remove from heat and let it sit for 5 minutes covered, then fluff with a fork.
While the rice is cooking shave the carrots and cut the scallions, heat some olive oil in a saute pan and add the vegetables, sprinkle with cumin and coriander and saute until the vegetables are soft and cooked through. Remove from the pan and set aside, add a little more olive oil and the shallots and fry until they are browned and crisp.
Mix some yogurt with the dried mint.
To serve just spoon some rice and lentils on a plate top with the vegetables, a dollop of yogurt and sprinkle with the shallots.
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