November 6, 2011 — last updated November 23, 2022 by Kalyn Denny48 comments »
Curried Rice and Red Lentils is a delicious side dish or a meatless main dish, and because you use vegetable stock this recipe is vegan.
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This dish combining Curried Rice and Red Lentils is an old favorite that I recently I made with Jake, and we both loved how the simple combination of ingredients creates so much flavor. Andsince the combination of lentils (or beans) and rice are famous in vegetarian cooking for the way they create a complete protein, it really is a recipe that’s perfect for meatless meals.
This was another one of those recipes I loved from Mark Bittman’s The Best Recipes in the World (affiliate link) and when Jake and I cooked it the only change we made was to use stock to cook the lentil-rice combination instead of water. And since we’re using vegetarian stock that would makes this recipe vegan. Of course I liked the garnish of cilantro, but if you’re not a cilantro fan I think some sliced green onions or parsley would be nice.
What kind of lentils did we use?
There are many types of lentils, but it’s important to use red lentils in this dish, so they’ll be done in the 20 minutes it takes for the rice to cook. Here is a good reference about various types of lentils. Hope you enjoy trying this easy recipe that’s loaded with flavor!
How to Make Curried Rice and Red Lentils:
(Scroll down for complete recipe with nutritional information.)
- Heat the oil in a heavy flat pan with a tight-fitting lid; then cook the onions until they’re starting to get nicely browned on the edges. (This browning adds a lot of flavor, so don’t rush it.)
- Then add the curry powder and saute it for 1-2 minutes, until it’s very fragrant.
- Add the vegetable stock and let it come to a boil; then stir in the rice and red lentils.
- Bring it back to a boil, then reduce the heat to the barest possible simmer and let cook covered for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes check to see if rice and lentils are done and all the water is absorbed. Ours was completely perfect, but if needed cook uncovered for a few minutes more.
- Season to taste with salt and fresh ground black pepper and serve immediately.
Make it a Meal:
For a meatless meal, I would love this with Amazing Asian Green Salad or Tomato, Cucumber, and Radish Saladon the side.
More Tasty Ideas with Red Lentils:
- Mexican Red Lentil Stew
- Spicy Red Lentil and Tomato Soup
- Spicy Red Lentil and Chickpea Stew
- Seven Red Lentil Soup Recipes
- Indian-Style Red Lentils with Ginger
Yield: 6 servings
Curried Rice and Red Lentils
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Curried Rice and Red Lentils is a delicious vegan side dish or meatless main dish.
Ingredients
- 2 T vegetable oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 T curry powder (see notes)
- 3/4 cup uncooked red lentils
- 1 cup uncooked long grain white rice (see notes
- 3 cups vegetable stock (see notes)
- salt, pepper to taste
- chopped parsley or cilantro, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Put the oil in a large, heavy pan with a tight lid and heat for one minute.
- Add onion and saute 3-5 minutes, until starting to brown on the edges.
- Add curry powder and saute 1 minute, then add water and bring to a boil.
- Add lentils and rice, bring back to a boil, then lower heat to a steady simmer and cover.
- Cook 20 minutes, or until rice is done and lentils are tender. (Mark Bittman says if the liquid is not all absorbed, boil off the excess, but after 20 minutes all my water had been absorbed.)
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Garnish with chopped parsley or cilantro if desired.
- I haven’t tried freezing it, but my prediction would be that this freezes well.
Notes
I used Uncle Ben's Converted Rice (affiliate link) which has the lowest Glycemic Index of any white rice. I'm a fan of curry powder from Penzeys, and I used a mix of sweet and hot curry powder. You can use two cans vegetable broth and add a little water to make 3 cups.
Recipe adapted fromThe Best Recipes in the World (affiliate link) by Mark Bittman.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 181Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 434mgCarbohydrates: 27gFiber: 4gSugar: 2gProtein: 7g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.
Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Curried Rice and Red Lentils would be suitable for phase two or three of the original South Beach Diet, if you use Uncle Ben’s Converted Rice as mentioned above. Lentils are considered a “good carb” for South Beach, but this would be too high in carbs for a low-carb diet plan.
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Side Dishes to find more recipes like this one! Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You can also Follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.
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Categories: Easy to Cook, Recipes, Side Dishes, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, South Beach Diet, Vegetarian Ingredients: , Fresh Herbs, Grains
originally published on Nov 6, 2011 (last updated Nov 23, 2022) by Kalyn Denny
48 commentsLeave a comment »
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Leave a Comment & Rate this Recipe!
Kathy shaver —Reply
Such a yummy and nourishing recipe. Everyone loves it especially my vegan granddaughter. Thanks.
Kalyn Denny —Reply
So glad you enjoyed it. I keep meaning to take better photos for this recipe!
Rox Runner —Reply
I’m eating vegan myself and some air-fried (or pan-fried) tofu works well in this. I add it at the end, once the rice and lentils are cooked.
Kalyn Denny —
I’m not vegan but I really like tofu, and that sounds good to me!
BeckyK18 —Reply
We make this regularly, and it is still one of our favorite dinners! Wonderful comfort food on a cold, rainy day. Thank you for another great recipe, Kalyn!
Kalyn Denny —Reply
So glad you have enjoyed it!
Stacy H —Reply
I love this recipe. Though I make some changes regarding the rice, too. I normally use wehani rice or something similar. Water amounts do differ a bit, yes, but it really enhances flavor, texture, and health of the dish. I soak the rice while I am sautéing everything up to help it cook a bit faster. I also add two or three sweet peppers (depending on their size) and a couple of hot peppers to the onions for some flavor kick. And lastly, I cook in a cast iron pan. Elemental iron might be a bit hard for the body to process, but hey, I'll take any additional iron I can get since it is a problem for me!
Kalyn Denny —Reply
Stacy, fun hearing how you adapted; glad to hear it worked for you.
quepadre —Reply
i just made this and it was so delicious! i used brown rice instead of white and i realized the cooking times and water amounts would be different as i was boiling the water. i just put in the rice first and let them cook a little bit, then the lentils. i had to add quite a bit more water, though. but it was tasty! Thank you.
Lisa M. —Reply
Trying this with a can of coconut milk, a splash of wine and some water as the liquid component. I'll let you know how it works out.
Kalyn Denny —Reply
Kristin, so glad you enjoyed it. And good to know it will work with substitutions too.
kristin1724 —Reply
This was delicious! I made it for dinner tonight. So incredibly easy. I used French lentils, which stayed a little firmer, but worked just fine in the dish. I also used jasmine rice (what I had on hand). I would definitely try this again with a basmati rice, too. Will definitely stay on my "what to make for dinner" list!
Kalyn Denny —Reply
Paz, hope you enjoy it!
Paz —Reply
very nice. i'm going to try it.
Kalyn Denny —Reply
Curt and Barbra, we loved it!
Barbara —Reply
I love curried rice but usually do it as fried rice. I like the risotto style of this.
Curt —Reply
I'm betting the red lentils are excellent with the curried rice!
Kalyn Denny —Reply
Terry Ann, there is some discussion about that in an earlier comment. Brown rice takes longer to cook, so you'd either have to partly cook the rice before you add the lentils or use brown lentils, which take longer to cook than the red ones.
Terry Ann —Reply
This looks wonderful and I'm sure that the flavors are great! Do you think it could be made using brown rice?
Kalyn Denny —Reply
Barb, so glad they liked it!
barb —Reply
Kalyn, I made this dish tonight. I used butter and served it with yogurt and a chilli sauce. My family loved it.
Kalyn Denny —Reply
Liz, glad to hear they liked it, even if it wasn't quite a colorful! Brown lentils will always take longer, and you're right that if they are old they will take even longer. But good to know they were good in this recipe.
Alphana, thanks! Glad you like the blog.
Alpana —Reply
Beautiful post with an awesome recipe……Glad to have found you.
Little Ol' Liz —Reply
Kalyn –
I made this last night with brown lentils. Mine may have been old and extra dry, so additional liquid was necessary. I also used a dark veggie stock, so it didn't turn out the same brilliant yellow color, but my family ate it and in my book that's a win! Thank you for introducing this to a plain meat-and-potato family.Kalyn Denny —Reply
Emily I did use split lentils. The first time Jake and I cooked this we weren't happy with how done the lentils were, so we made it again and kept the heat at the lowest possible simmer. I'd guess the heat is too high if your lentils were too done. If your stove won't go any lower, I'd start to check after 15 minutes.
Emily —Reply
How did you keep your lentils so distinct? Mine completely disintegrated in 20 minutes, and the finished dish looks like a weird, lumpy risotto. It's still delicious, but I was wondering if I did something wrong. I followed the instructions by the book. I used split red lentils (which is the only way I've ever seen them sold in my area). Did you use whole ones? Just curious. Thanks for the great dish! Even if I can't get my lentils to stay whole, this recipe is a keeper!
Kalyn Denny —Reply
I do think the dish would taste good with brown rice and brown lentils, or you could cook the brown rice for a while before you added the red lentils, which is what I'd do.
A —Reply
Could you make this with brown rice if you switched the red lentils for something longer cooking?
Kalyn Denny —Reply
Yes, I do think it will freeze well. In fact, I'm adding that to the recipe right now!
Emily —Reply
Do you think this would freeze well? I'm afraid it would make too much for me.
Kalyn Denny —Reply
I won't tell anyone if you add chicken, but I promise this is pretty satisfying as a meatless meal.
Inspired by eRecipeCards —Reply
Kalyn, it has been too long since I had a chance to catch up with my favorites. MY oh MY does that look and sound perfect. Such beautiful colors.
The meat lover in me wants to add some sort of chicken, but this is just spectacularly delicious sounding.
Kalyn Denny —Reply
Ken, thank you SO MUCH! I am always so annoyed with myself when I do things like that but I'm ultra thankful when someone else catches it! Will fix right now.
Ken —Reply
Hi Kalyn, just a nit, but for those of us easily confused, under the pic of the ONIONS browning, you have "Heat the oil in a heavy flat pan with a tight-fitting lid; then saute the rice until it's starting to get nicely browned on the edges." Otherwise, looks great!
KenKalyn Denny —Reply
Zesty, the red lentils are delicious and they cook really quickly.
Zesty Cook —Reply
It's nice to see a different kind of dish appear on food blogs. This looks delicious, and I like that it is vegetarian. I've never cooked with red lentils before (only green), but I"ll definitely give this a try 🙂
Kalyn Denny —Reply
Thanks Dara! Sadly I gave Jake the leftovers, so I didn't get to have it for lunch.
Cookin' Canuck —Reply
Kalyn, this is exactly the kind of dish I could eat every day for lunch. Full of protein, full of spices and so comforting.
Kalyn Denny —Reply
Thanks Maria. This was definitely very tasty.
Maria —Reply
Great dish for Meatless Monday!
Nandita —Reply
Hey Kalyn,
It’s wonderful to see you prepare Indian Food and it looks absolutely mouthwatering- the rice and lentil mix is also called Khichdi, which was my entry into the FMR event. Glad to hear that WHB is back to it’s own home for this weekend, will surely send an entry! Looking forward to the breakfast recipe from you…Gabriella True —Reply
okay. I think the most interesting part is the low glycemic part about the rice. I had not idea! That is great information for me bc I have PCOS.
Kalyn Denny —Reply
Sher, I love the book. I know it’s not the most authentic book for many cuisines, but it’s quite close I think. Everything I’ve booked from it has been excellent.
Paz, thanks for hosting, and thanks.
Sumitha, thanks for your nice words about my humble attempt, and especially for taking time to help me learn a little more about Indian cooking.
Sumitha —Reply
Hi Kalyn!
I am an Indian and I must appreciate you for your attempt.It indeed looks lovely!I would like to mention few points here,there is no need to feel guilty that you have used butter instead of ghee,we too do substitute butter for ghee sometimes if we have run out of stock.The flavour difference is only very subtle!Afterall ghee is made by melting and clarifying butter!
Secondly it is actually a misconception that all Indian dishes use ghee,being health conscious now, most Indian families use ghee only for special occasions and in day to day cooking we use any vegetable oil like peanut oil or some even switch to olive oil.
There is no problem if you call it lentils or pulses,nothing wrong with it.You know that India is a vast country with different states,it is referred to as Dal mainly in the Northern states where as it is known by different names in other languages like Bele in Kannada,Parippu in Tamil and Malayalam!
Coming to curry powder,yes most Indian families prepare their own powders.Although even this trend is changing.
I have wriiten quite a long comment Kalyn I am sorry for that,it is just because I wanted you to feel no gulit in the way you have prepared.It is a great step to reach your goal
Paz —Reply
How delicious-looking and sounding! I like Mark Bittman’s recipes. I think this is a great way to get started on preparing more Indian dishes! I love that you’re able to adapt this recipe to The South Beach Diet for those who follow it. Really cool!
Thanks, Kalyn!
Paz
sher —Reply
I love Indian recipes and am trying to learn more of them, which is much easier due to all the fabulous Indian blogs. The rice and lentils look wonderful–and I’ve been meaning to get the Mark Bittman book
Kalyn Denny —Reply
Mae, that’s exactly how I feel! I love to read all those blogs and many more (Anthony’s Kitchen, Mahanandi and One Hot Stove especially come to mind, but there are many more and I hope I’m not offending anyone that I’m forgetting to mention) but when I read the ingredients there are always a few things that I don’t have (or don’t even know what they are!) One of my friends just brought me a jar of Biryani Curry Paste that I’m going to try soon, although I know that no proper Indian cook would use curry paste from a jar!
mae —Reply
Kalyn, the rice looks delish! Like you, i have to admit, am a little intimidated with the list of ingredients in indian cooking. Though i love to eat the lovely dishes, and there’s so many mouthwatering dishes on display in Sailu’s, Meena’s and My Dhaba’s blogs [too many to name!] as soon as i go through the list of ingredients, somehow, i lose confidence… i must pluck up some courage too one of these days!
