Rice with lentils - recipes for hearty lean food

Seeing rice and lentils on the same plate is unusual for many. Nevertheless, this is a very successful combination for many reasons. Dishes made from rice and lentils are tasty, satisfying, and healthy. Cereals and beans are easily digestible foods, with low calorie content they have high nutritional value and are rich in useful minerals, vitamins, and microelements.

Prepared without animal ingredients, they give the body a powerful boost of energy for the whole day. Therefore, not only vegetarians can and should include a variety of dishes based on lentils and rice in their diet. This food is perfect for all those who are constantly fighting excess weight, strictly following the rules of fasting, or trying to adhere to a healthy diet.

Mutzendra or Cypriot rice with lentils

Ingredients	Quantity
long grain rice and brown lentils -	250 g each
bulbs -	2 pcs.
olive oil -	a quarter glass
chopped mint -	1 tbsp. l. dried or 4 tbsp. l. fresh
bay leaf -	1 PC.
Cooking time: 60 minutes	Calorie content per 100 grams: 290 Kcal

A surprisingly easy recipe to make. Mutzendra is an analogue of mujadara (boiled rice and lentils with fried onions), but in a slightly different version. The highlight of the dish is mint and lemon juice, which add interesting notes to the taste of traditional oriental cuisine.

Salt and season the dish based on your taste. Lemon juice is used for serving.

Recipe step by step:

The lentils are washed. Transfer to a saucepan. Fill 4 fingers with water. Place on high heat.
As soon as the water boils, the liquid is drained. The beans are washed and returned to the saucepan. Pour in 1 liter of water (you can use vegetable broth), throw in a bay leaf.
The lentils are allowed to boil over high heat. The burner flame is reduced to a minimum. Simmer the beans for 20 minutes under a half-closed lid. Cooked lentils are salted.
While the lentils are cooking, peel and dice the onion. Heat oil in a thick-bottomed pan. Sauté the onion over medium heat for 3 minutes. It should become transparent, but not golden.
Rice is washed in several waters. Mix with sautéed onions. Fry, stirring, until transparent (2 minutes).
Pour the lentils into the pan with the rice and onions along with the liquid in which the beans were cooked. Don't mix. Cook mutzendra for 20 minutes over low heat under a half-closed lid. The dish is considered ready when all the liquid is absorbed into the cereal.
Remove the dish from the heat, season with mint and pepper, and salt. Stir, cover with a lid, and wrap.

The dish is infused for 15 minutes, after which it is considered ready. Serve by sprinkling the rice and lentils thoroughly with lemon juice. They eat mutzendra with pita bread, Greek yogurt (unsweetened), vegetable salad with soft cheese.

Rice with lentils and mushrooms in Armenian style

Minor changes in the recipe and method of cooking the main ingredients give the dish a completely different taste. A minimal set of inexpensive ingredients and ease of preparation make the delicious Armenian chal-pilaf an attractive dish in all respects.

Products:

200 g long-grain parboiled rice;
200 g green lentils;
400 g fresh small champignons;
4 tbsp. l. vegetable oil;
salt;
spices for pilaf;
greenery.

Time – 30 minutes.

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Calorie content 100 g – 218 kcal.

Recipe step by step:

The rice is thoroughly washed (the water should become completely clear). Boil until tender, drain in a colander.
The lentils are washed. Simmer in a saucepan over low heat for 40 minutes, covered. Rinse again in a colander.
The champignons are washed, dried, each cut into 2 parts. The mushrooms are first fried in a dry frying pan (until the juice evaporates), then browned in vegetable oil. Salt and pepper.
While frying the champignons, pour a little oil into the second frying pan. Pour in the lentils. Fry the beans, stirring, for 2 minutes.
Add boiled rice to the lentils. Salt, season with pilaf spices and pepper to taste. Stir and after a minute remove from heat.

The peculiarity of the dish is that the ingredients are laid out on a plate without mixing. On one side of the plate they place a pile of lentils with rice, on the other - fried champignons. Before serving, sprinkle with chopped herbs.

How to cook lentils with mushrooms and rice?

The following recipe will help you please your loved ones with an interesting and tasty dish. You can learn how to cook rice with lentils from the instructions.

Soak a glass of green lentils for 1 hour.
Chop the onion into half rings, cut the carrots into thin cubes, and divide the mushrooms into 4 parts with a knife.
In a cauldron, fry the onion in vegetable oil until translucent. Add carrots, 3 cloves of finely chopped garlic, and after 2 minutes, mushrooms. Cook for about 5 minutes.
Add spices. Add turmeric and cumin (1 tsp each), salt to taste.
Rinse the rice and lentils, pour into a cauldron and spread into an even layer.
Pour the contents of the cauldron with tomato juice (3 tbsp.). It should be 2 cm higher than the rice and lentils. Cook covered for 30 minutes.

Lenten pilaf made from rice, green lentils and chickpeas with sauerkraut

An incredibly tasty, very filling vegetarian pilaf with an amazing aroma. What makes the dish original is the composition of spicy spices and sauerkraut, which goes perfectly with boiled rice and legumes.

Products:

2 tbsp. round grain rice;
1 tbsp. green lentils;
1 tbsp. chickpeas;
140 g sauerkraut;
2 large carrots;
4 onions;
6 cloves of garlic;
4 tbsp. vegetable broth;
8 tbsp. l. vegetable oil;
4 bay leaves;
a mixture of peppers (white, black, allspice - a pinch);
turmeric, coriander, paprika (ground) - a quarter teaspoon each;
salt.

Time – 50 minutes.

Calorie content 100 g – 115 kcal.

Recipe step by step:

The chickpeas are washed and soaked in water overnight. After 8 hours, wash again, add water, and cook for 20 minutes.
Lentils are washed and boiled until soft.
Onions and carrots (peeled, washed) are chopped into strips.
Place the casserole (pan with a thick bottom) over medium heat. Heat the oil and fry the onion in it first, and after 2 minutes the carrots. Sauté the vegetables together for 4 minutes under the lid.
Place sauerkraut in a cauldron. Stir vegetables and simmer for 5 minutes.
The rice is washed three times and poured into a cauldron. Salt, season with spices, add unpeeled garlic cloves and laurel leaves.
Rice and vegetables are poured with broth and mixed. Cover with a lid. The pilaf is simmered over low heat until the liquid is almost completely absorbed into the rice.
Boiled chickpeas and green lentils are poured into a cauldron. Lenten pilaf is left on the fire in a closed container for another 3 minutes. Stir.

Vegetarian pilaf is served traditionally. The hot food is poured into a high mound in the center of a wide, flat dish. For beauty, sprinkle with fresh chopped herbs.

How to cook with vegetables in a slow cooker

The beauty of the “kitchen assistant” is that any food is cooked much faster in it, and the dishes have a brighter taste. In addition, it takes much less time to prepare the ingredients. Therefore, cooking classic mujadara with vegetables in a slow cooker is much more convenient and simpler.

Products:

2 multi-cups steamed rice;
1 m-st. yellow lentils;
1 carrot;
1 onion;
3 tbsp. l. vegetable oil;
4 m-st. water;
½ tsp. ground spice mixtures;
1 tsp. salt.

You can choose the spices for this version of rice with lentils at your discretion. For example, allspice, white and black pepper, mustard seeds, paprika, cumin, coriander, cumin, herbes de Provence.

Time – 40 minutes.

Calorie content 100 g – 104 kcal.

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Recipe step by step:

Peel the onion and cut into small cubes. Grate the carrots on a coarse grater.
Pour a little oil into the multicooker bowl. Turn on the “Baking”, “Frying” or “Express” mode. Sauté the onion until transparent.
Add carrots and a spoonful of oil. Fry the vegetables for another 5 minutes without changing the program. The lid of the multicooker is not closed.
Lentils and rice are washed thoroughly. Pour into a bowl with onions and carrots. Salt, add spices. Stir and add water.
Switch the device to “Rice” mode.
When the cooking completion signal sounds, carefully mix the rice porridge with lentils with a spatula and leave in the closed multicooker for another 15 minutes.

This easy-to-prepare dish makes an excellent side dish for meat. Although as an independent meal, rice with lentils cooked in a slow cooker is part of a complete lunch.

Recipe for lentils and rice in a slow cooker

This recipe contains a harmonious combination of ingredients. Flaky rice, delicious lentils, spicy Adyghe cheese - even a true gourmet will not refuse this dish. When cooking in a slow cooker, follow the following step-by-step instructions:

Select the “Frying” or “Baking” program.
Pour a little vegetable oil into the multicooker bowl and fry coarsely grated carrots, as well as onions and diced potatoes (2 pieces) for 10 minutes.
Add Adyghe cheese, cut into small pieces (150 g). Mix.
Add washed lentils and rice (1 tbsp each).
Pour the contents of the bowl with hot water (2.5 tbsp.). Add curry (0.5 tsp), a pinch of asafoetida, salt and pepper. Stir again.
Cook rice and lentils according to the slow cooker recipe for 50 minutes. Choose “Pilaf” or “Rice” mode.

Ingredients	Quantity
long grain rice and brown lentils -	250 g each
bulbs -	2 pcs.
olive oil -	a quarter glass
chopped mint -	1 tbsp. l. dried or 4 tbsp. l. fresh
bay leaf -	1 PC.
Cooking time: 60 minutes	Calorie content per 100 grams: 290 Kcal

Salt and season the dish based on your taste. Lemon juice is used for serving.

The lentils are washed. Transfer to a saucepan. Fill 4 fingers with water. Place on high heat.
As soon as the water boils, the liquid is drained. The beans are washed and returned to the saucepan. Pour in 1 liter of water (you can use vegetable broth), throw in a bay leaf.
The lentils are allowed to boil over high heat. The burner flame is reduced to a minimum. Simmer the beans for 20 minutes under a half-closed lid. Cooked lentils are salted.
While the lentils are cooking, peel and dice the onion. Heat oil in a thick-bottomed pan. Sauté the onion over medium heat for 3 minutes. It should become transparent, but not golden.
Rice is washed in several waters. Mix with sautéed onions. Fry, stirring, until transparent (2 minutes).
Pour the lentils into the pan with the rice and onions along with the liquid in which the beans were cooked. Don't mix. Cook mutzendra for 20 minutes over low heat under a half-closed lid. The dish is considered ready when all the liquid is absorbed into the cereal.
Remove the dish from the heat, season with mint and pepper, and salt. Stir, cover with a lid, and wrap.

Diet soup with lemon for weight loss

A bowl of such original soup can be a substitute for the first, second course and even dessert. The offer is especially relevant for those who want to easily lose weight by as much as 4 kg in just 2 weeks. Lentil rice soup with lemon is very healthy. In addition, it is simply prepared.

Products:

6 tbsp. l. rice;
6 tbsp. l lentils;
1 onion;
2 cloves of garlic;
1 lemon;
4 sprigs of cilantro;
1 tbsp. l. olive oil;
1/3 tsp. turmeric;
0.5 tsp. salt;
1 parsley root;
½ parsnip root;
½ celery root;
1.5 liters of water.

Time – 1 hour.

Calorie content 100 g – 42 kcal.

Recipe step by step:

The roots are cleaned and cut into cubes. Fill with water and cook in a separate pan for 15 minutes.
The resulting broth is filtered.
The rice is washed three times. Soak in water for half an hour.
Peel the garlic and grind it with a submersible blender along with olive oil.
Peel the onion and cut into cubes.
Chopped garlic and raw onions are poured into a thick-bottomed pan or cast-iron cauldron. Sauté for 1 minute. Pour in half a glass of broth. Simmer for 4 minutes.
Vegetables are seasoned with turmeric and mixed. Simmer for 1 minute.
Water is drained from the rice. The lentils are washed and poured into the pan along with the rice.
The products are mixed and poured with root broth. Bring to a boil over high heat.
As soon as it boils, turn down the fire. The dietary soup is simmered over low heat, covered, for 25 minutes.
Lemon is cut in half. One part is crushed into thin circles. Remove the zest from the second one into thin shavings.
Lemon zest and juice of half a lemon are added to the soup. Salt and mix.

The finished dish is poured into plates and decorated with lemon slices and fresh cilantro leaves. It looks delicious, smells divine and tastes beyond all praise!

Medjadra

This ancient dish is popular throughout the Arab world. Its secret is the fried onions, which are oily and slightly crunchy. We can argue pointlessly for hours about who likes which food better and why, but we never come to an agreement. But when Medjadra is mentioned, the controversy subsides. Slightly sweet rice with lentils, sprinkled with soft fried onions, with yogurt and cucumber or simply with Greek yogurt - this is what everyone will like in Jerusalem. This dish is best served warm, but it will be just as delicious at room temperature.

For 6 servings:

250 g green or brown lentils
4 small onions (700 g before peeling)
3 tbsp. l. flour
250 ml sunflower oil
2 tsp. cumin grains
1½ tbsp. l. coriander seeds
200 g basmati rice
2 tbsp. l. olive oil
½ tsp. ground turmeric
1½ tsp. ground allspice
1½ tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. Sahara
350 ml water
salt and black pepper

Place the lentils in a saucepan, add water, bring to a boil and cook for 12-15 minutes. During this time, the lentils should become almost completely soft. Drain in a colander.
Peel the onion and cut it into thin rings. Place on a large flat plate, sprinkle with flour and 1 tsp. salt. Mix with your hands.
Take a small, thick-bottomed saucepan and place over high heat. Pour 250 ml of oil into the pan. To check if the oil is hot enough, throw a piece of onion into it: if it sizzles strongly, the oil is ready. Reduce the heat slightly and carefully (it spits!) add the onion to the oil. Fry for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally with a slotted spoon. The onions should be golden brown and crispy (reduce the heat so the onions don't cook too quickly and burn). Line a colander with paper towels and transfer the onions into the colander, sprinkling with a little salt. Repeat with the remaining two onions. Add oil to the pan if necessary.
Wipe out the pan in which the onions were fried and add cumin and coriander seeds. Place over medium heat and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add rice, olive oil, turmeric, allspice, cinnamon, sugar, ½ tsp. salt and lots of black pepper. Stir to coat the rice with oil, then add the lentils and water. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes.
Remove from heat, remove lid and quickly cover with a clean kitchen towel. Close the lid tightly again and leave for 10 minutes.
Finally, add ½ fried onion to the lentil rice and stir gently with a fork. Place in a shallow serving bowl and garnish with remaining chives.

Useful tips

Lentils come in different varieties. Depending on the color (variety), you need to cook the beans less or longer. So, yellow lentils cook the fastest – 15 minutes. After 25 minutes of cooking, the brown lentils will be ready.

Red beans need to be simmered for half an hour. Green lentils have the longest heat treatment period. You need to cook it for 40 minutes. This feature is always taken into account when combining legumes and rice in one dish, since the average cooking time for the latter is 25 minutes.

If you need to cook lentils very quickly, a microwave will come to the rescue. You need to rinse and pour the beans into a glass container, add salt and add water. Place in the microwave oven at maximum setting without covering with a lid. After 10 minutes, the lentils will be completely cooked.