This dish is total comfort food!
I was Aarti Party on Food Network (love her) and this was one of her recipes. Super easy to make and SO yummy!
I have been attempting to do a vegan meal for my family once a week and Dan said this was "restaurant quality". Guess he liked it. Not a hit with my kiddo's so had to resort to a non-vegan chicken quesadilla for them : )
Prep time is only about 5 mins and it takes about 1hr 20 mins to cook total.
Ingredients:
1 cup of green lentils rinsed
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp cracked black peppercorns
2 med red onions, thinly sliced
kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 cinnamon stick
2 tablespoon's of toasted pine nuts or toasted almonds
squeeze of fresh lemon
Greek yogurt, for serving, optional
Method:
Cook lentils in a medium sized saucepan after you have rinsed them with enough water to cover the lentils about an inch. Bring to boil over med-high heat and then turn down to simmer and cook until the lentils are tender but not mushy, about 20 mins.
Meanwhile,grab a large skillet. Pop it over med-high heat and add the olive oil. Might seem like a lot of oil but believe me it is necessary to caramelize those onions. Add the cracked peppercorns and cumin seeds to the hot oil shaking the skillet while the cumin seeds darken in color, about 1 minute.
Add the sliced onions to the oil with a dash of salt until they cook and turn caramel brown, stirring often. It will take about 15 mins. Splash the onions with a little water if they start to stick.
Using a slotted spoon remove 1/2 of the onions and set aside for garnish.
Sprinkle in the ground cumin, cayenne pepper and cinnamon stick to the onions and saute for 1 minute.
Add the rice and cook stirring often but gently until some of the rice grains start to brown. Quickly add the cooked lentils and 3 cups of water with 1 1/2 tsp of salt and bring to boil. Turn the heat down to low so that the pan is at a simmer. Cover and cook for 30 mins. The water should be completely absorbed and rice should be tender when done.
Turn off the heat and keep the lid on to allow the rice to steam undisturbed for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile toast the pinenuts (or almonds) using a small skillet over med-low heat shaking often for about 5 mins until they start to turn slightly brown. Be careful not to burn them like I have many times : )
Serve with the reserved caramelized onions, toasted nuts and a little squeeze of lemon juice.
Roasted Eggplant Salad (Baingan Bharta)
This is an amazingly flavorful dish and is a perfect complement to Mujadara. It would also be a great dip with pita bread as an appetizer!
Ingredients:
2 large eggplant
2 tablespoon of peanut oil (or grapeseed oil)
1 med white onion, finely diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 small Serrano chili, minced (seeded for less heat)
1/4 cup of fresh cilantro leaves and soft stems, minced, plus more picked leaves for garnish
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
1/4 tsp ground cumin
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups of Greek yogurt (or goats milk yogurt if you are intolerant to dairy) beaten until smooth
Method:
Line a baking sheet with foil and preheat oven to 500 degrees F.
Make 3 slashes in the eggplant from top to bottom,equally distanced around the eggplant (to avoid eggplants exploding in high temp).Rub oil on eggplants and place on baking sheet. Roast until soft all the way to the center and the skin is brown. About 45 mins, rotating the pan and flipping the eggplants halfway through. Remove when done and let cool.
Once cool, skin the eggplants and chop the flesh until relatively smooth but not mushy.
In a large skillet, warm the peanut oil over med-high heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the chopped onion and saute until it turns golden brown. Add eggplant flesh, garlic, chili and cilantro leaves. Cook for 2 mins. Add a splash of water if it begins to stick.
Add turmeric, cumin and 2 tsp of salt. Stir and cook another 5 mins.
Turn off heat. Add yogurt and stir to combine.
Garnish with cilantro leave sand a sprinkle of ground cumin. Serve either warm or slightly chilled.
Enjoy and please let me know what you think!
I was Aarti Party on Food Network (love her) and this was one of her recipes. Super easy to make and SO yummy!
I have been attempting to do a vegan meal for my family once a week and Dan said this was "restaurant quality". Guess he liked it. Not a hit with my kiddo's so had to resort to a non-vegan chicken quesadilla for them : )
Prep time is only about 5 mins and it takes about 1hr 20 mins to cook total.
Ingredients:
1 cup of green lentils rinsed
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp cracked black peppercorns
2 med red onions, thinly sliced
kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 cinnamon stick
2 tablespoon's of toasted pine nuts or toasted almonds
squeeze of fresh lemon
Greek yogurt, for serving, optional
Method:
Cook lentils in a medium sized saucepan after you have rinsed them with enough water to cover the lentils about an inch. Bring to boil over med-high heat and then turn down to simmer and cook until the lentils are tender but not mushy, about 20 mins.
Meanwhile,grab a large skillet. Pop it over med-high heat and add the olive oil. Might seem like a lot of oil but believe me it is necessary to caramelize those onions. Add the cracked peppercorns and cumin seeds to the hot oil shaking the skillet while the cumin seeds darken in color, about 1 minute.
Add the sliced onions to the oil with a dash of salt until they cook and turn caramel brown, stirring often. It will take about 15 mins. Splash the onions with a little water if they start to stick.
Using a slotted spoon remove 1/2 of the onions and set aside for garnish.
Sprinkle in the ground cumin, cayenne pepper and cinnamon stick to the onions and saute for 1 minute.
Add the rice and cook stirring often but gently until some of the rice grains start to brown. Quickly add the cooked lentils and 3 cups of water with 1 1/2 tsp of salt and bring to boil. Turn the heat down to low so that the pan is at a simmer. Cover and cook for 30 mins. The water should be completely absorbed and rice should be tender when done.
Turn off the heat and keep the lid on to allow the rice to steam undisturbed for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile toast the pinenuts (or almonds) using a small skillet over med-low heat shaking often for about 5 mins until they start to turn slightly brown. Be careful not to burn them like I have many times : )
Serve with the reserved caramelized onions, toasted nuts and a little squeeze of lemon juice.
Roasted Eggplant Salad (Baingan Bharta)
This is an amazingly flavorful dish and is a perfect complement to Mujadara. It would also be a great dip with pita bread as an appetizer!
Ingredients:
2 large eggplant
2 tablespoon of peanut oil (or grapeseed oil)
1 med white onion, finely diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 small Serrano chili, minced (seeded for less heat)
1/4 cup of fresh cilantro leaves and soft stems, minced, plus more picked leaves for garnish
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
1/4 tsp ground cumin
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups of Greek yogurt (or goats milk yogurt if you are intolerant to dairy) beaten until smooth
Method:
Line a baking sheet with foil and preheat oven to 500 degrees F.
Make 3 slashes in the eggplant from top to bottom,equally distanced around the eggplant (to avoid eggplants exploding in high temp).Rub oil on eggplants and place on baking sheet. Roast until soft all the way to the center and the skin is brown. About 45 mins, rotating the pan and flipping the eggplants halfway through. Remove when done and let cool.
Once cool, skin the eggplants and chop the flesh until relatively smooth but not mushy.
In a large skillet, warm the peanut oil over med-high heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the chopped onion and saute until it turns golden brown. Add eggplant flesh, garlic, chili and cilantro leaves. Cook for 2 mins. Add a splash of water if it begins to stick.
Add turmeric, cumin and 2 tsp of salt. Stir and cook another 5 mins.
Turn off heat. Add yogurt and stir to combine.
Garnish with cilantro leave sand a sprinkle of ground cumin. Serve either warm or slightly chilled.
Enjoy and please let me know what you think!
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