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crispy Indian lentils on white rice with turmeric shallots in a shallow bowl on a green table.
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Crispy Indian-ish Lentils with Rice & Yogurt

Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Servings: 3 to 4
Calories: 535kcal
Author: Nisha Vora

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup (150g) brown, green, or French green lentils
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup (190g) uncooked long-grain white rice (or 3 cups (425 g) cooked rice)
  • 1 teaspoon black or brown mustard seeds
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
  • 3 tablespoons neutral-flavored, high-heat oil of choice
  • 1 medium shallot, very thinly sliced into rounds (1/8-inch or 3mm slices)
  • 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 1.5 inch (3.75 cm) piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced into matchsticks
  • 1 small serrano pepper, thinly sliced into rounds (remove membranes and seeds for mild heat)
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • Flaky sea salt

For Finishing

  • 1/2 cup (115g) good-quality plain coconut yogurt
  • 2 to 3 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon organic cane sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 3/4 cup (12g) fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Instructions

  • Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Add the lentils and 2 teaspoons kosher salt (1 tsp sea salt). Reduce the heat and simmer until the lentils are al dente (tender but with a bite), 10 to 12 minutes (17 to 20 minutes for French green lentils); they should not be soft.
    Drain and shake to get rid of excess water.
  • Transfer the lentils to a large dish towel to dry. I like to gently run my hands through the lentils so they dry more quickly.
  • Meanwhile, cook the rice using your preferred method, or get out your leftover cooked rice.
  • Lightly crush the mustard, cumin, and coriander seeds in a mortar with a pestle or add to a spice grinder and pulse just once or twice (see Note 1).
  • Place a fine-mesh strainer over a small or medium bowl and line a large plate with paper towels. Heat the oil in a medium or large skillet over medium heat.
    Once shimmering, add the shallots along with a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally and separating the shallot slices, until the edges are just turning golden, 3 to 4 minutes.
    Add the crushed spices, the garlic, ginger, serrano, and turmeric and cook, stirring frequently, until the garlic is golden and very aromatic, 2 to 3 minutes.
    Remove from the heat and pour the mixture into the strainer; you’ll use the oil that drains into the bowl to broil the lentils. Transfer the aromatics to the towel-lined plate and sprinkle with a pinch or two of flaky salt.
  • While the lentils dry, make the yogurt sauce. (This can also be made 1 to 2 days in advance.) In a small or medium bowl, mix together the yogurt, lemon juice, sugar, and cumin. Season to taste with kosher salt and black pepper.
  • Arrange a rack on the second shelf below the broiler. Preheat the broiler on high for about 5 minutes.
    Transfer the lentils to a rimmed sheet pan, toss with the reserved oil from step 5, sprinkle with a pinch or two of kosher salt and black pepper, and shake the pan back and forth to spread the lentils out into an even layer, using your hands to smooth out any clumps.
  • Broil the lentils for 4 minutes. Toss with a spatula or shake the pan back and forth to evenly redistribute them. Broil for 2 minutes and shake the pan again.
    If they’re nicely crispy, they’re done. If they’re starting to crisp up, broil for 1 minute, then check and broil in 1-minute increments as needed. If they haven’t started to crisp up yet, broil for 2 minutes, then check.
  • Transfer the crispy lentils to a serving bowl and toss with the reserved fried aromatics, cilantro, and lemon juice. Season to taste with flaky salt. Serve the lentils on top of rice and drizzle yogurt sauce on top.

Notes

  1. If you don't have a mortar and pestle but have an electric spice grinder or coffee grinder, add the spices to the grinder and blitz once or twice to roughly crush them. Don't have either tool? Add the spices to a ziploc bag, seal it, and use a rolling pin to roughly crush the spices.