Recipes vary from region to region and even family to family. The lentil type can change, the sauce can vary and a variety of nuts can be added for extra flavour, texture and protein.
I promise next week I'll make something with meat!
We first started making this at home from the Ripe Recipe Book from Ripe Deli on Auckland's Richmond Rd. But after tweaking it because of lack of ingredients, personal preference and sheer culinary adventure, the recipe has morphed into something quite different.
Last year at the flat every Monday was lentil night. One of the flatties always had human anatomy labs on Monday afternoons and while the formaldehyde in the air does make one ravenous, the idea of eating meat was usually not so appealing. So we established meat-free Mondays.
As soon as we started making this it was an absolute hit. While it may seem a bit strange, trust us (the wonderful folks at Number 3!) that it is in fact delicious.
You can add parsley and coriander in the quantities you want. Half the time we don't add either, usually because we don't have any lying around, but the coriander does make a huge difference.
Again, the recipe calls for shelled pistachios. Last time I checked they were not in the flat budget so I find roasted almonds are a cheaper substitute, or you can even go nut-free. That's what we did here.
You can add whatever dried fruit you want. The original recipe doesn't use any, but I quite like the addition of something sweet with the salty and spicy. We used dried dates and sultanas but dried apricots work well too.
Again with regard to the quantities, I love dates so I tend to be a little heavy-handed with them. Sultanas go wonderfully plump when cooked!
The way to cook the rice is the absorption method. You boil it away (along with all sorts of yummy spices and a good hunk of butter) then once it has boiled for 12 minutes you take it off the heat and pop the lid on and let it steam itself for another 12.
The timing always changes for me. If the rice is not quite al dente by the end of the second 12 minutes, throw in another half cup of water, turn the heat back on and cook it while stirring until the water has been absorbed and the rice is less crunchy.
You can also adjust the amount of chilli, depending on your tastes. I always throw on a dollop of sour cream or unsweetened yoghurt to cool down the chilli and to add a bit of creaminess to it.
You can add one or two tins of brown lentils to this. Lentils are a source of protein and fibre. On special they cost around $1.50 each. You can bulk it up with more rice, but all the goodness is in the lentils. Once again, up to you.
Serves 4
For the rice and lentil part
1 cup basmati rice
50g butter
3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1½ tsp ground nutmeg
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp salt
ground black pepper to taste
3 large onions
1-2 tins brown lentils
1 cup pistachios or almonds (optional)
1 good handful fresh parsley, chopped (it isn't the end of the world if you don't have this)
1 good handful of coriander, chopped (I would say this is far more important than the parsley)
1 cup dried fruit (sultanas, raisins, chopped dried dates, chopped dried apricots etc)
1 teaspoon brown sugar
For the spicy tomato sauce
¼ cup oil (olive preferably but regular cooking oil works too)
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp chilli paste
1½ tsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika
¼ cup cider vinegar (white wine vinegar also does the trick)
400g tin chopped tomatoes
1 tin of water
sour cream or unsweetened yoghurt to serve, as well as another good garnish with coriander.
Method
Start by making the rice. Melt the butter in the pan and toast the rice, cinnamon and nutmeg for a couple of minutes. This will help to release the flavour of the spices.
Add in the dried fruit, salt, black pepper and the chicken stock. Drain the brine from the lentils and stir. Bring the rice to the boil and leave to simmer for 12-14 minutes, stirring regularly.
Remove from heat, cover with a lid and leave to steam for another 12 minutes. If at the end of the 12 minutes the rice is still a little undercooked, throw in some more water (approx. half a cup) and return to the heat to let that be absorbed.
To prepare the onions, slice into thin rings. Throw into a small frying pan with a splash of oil and the teaspoon of brown sugar and leave to sauté until they are translucent and beginning to caramelise. Stir these into the rice and lentils once the rice is cooked.
To make the tomato sauce, sauté the garlic and chilli in the oil for two minutes. Add the spices and cook for a further minute. Add the cider vinegar and leave to boil for another minute or so. Add in the tomatoes and the water. Leave to simmer until the rice is cooked.
Stir the chopped herbs and the nuts into the rice. Place a couple of spoonfuls of rice in a bowl, top with a ladle of the tomato sauce, sprinkle over the coriander and dollop with sour cream.
And there you have it. A cheap, easy and healthy Monday-night dinner option for all you anatomy kids out there!
Enjoy!
