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Lentil and Rice Pilaf with Caramelized Onion

July 2, 2012 By Jittery Cook 19 Comments

I hate it when people tell me what to do. I love it when people tell me what to do. I simply like to make up my own mind. I mean I can’t make up my own mind. That’s the Libra in me, forever weighing options. First I try to amass a cluster of opinions, and then I want to have the last word.

When my husband says “No cooking!” I understand that what he really means is “Don’t make a big mess in the kitchen, that I’ll feel obliged to clean up!”

But I have a Jittery Cook commitment to you. Now that I’ve been food blogging for 10 months, now that I’ve introduced myself personally to hundreds of people as the Jittery Cook, now that I’ve managed to entice so many of you to come back for more, how can I follow instructions like “No cooking?”

Lucky for me, I tasted this delicious recipe recently. Lucky for you, I’m not following orders.

vegetarian, rice recipe, rice and lentil recipe, food, recipe, recipes,

Lentil and Rice Pilaf with Caramelized Onion Ingredients

  • 4 T olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 t ground cumin
  • ¾ t ground cinnamon
  • ½ t ground allspice
  • 4 ½ c vegetable broth
  • ¾ c dried lentils, rinsed, picked over
  • ¾ c long-grain white rice
  • 2 large onions, sliced
  • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Garnish ingredients
  • 2 c cherry tomatoes, red and yellow, whole or halved
  • 2 Israeli cucumbers, peeled, cut into rounds
  • 1 c plain yogourt
  • 1/4 c chopped fresh mint
vegetarian, rice recipe, rice and lentil recipe, food, recipe, recipes,

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion, garlic, cumin, cinnamon and allspice; sauté for 4 minutes.

vegetarian, rice recipe, rice and lentil recipe, food, recipe, recipes,

Add broth and lentils; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, 10 minutes. Stir in rice; return to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and cook until liquid is absorbed and rice and lentils are tender, about 15 minutes longer.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a heavy, large skillet, over medium-high heat. Add sliced onions; sauté for 20 minutes. Season pilaf to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a platter; top with onions. Place tomatoes and cucumber around the edges of the platter. Top each serving with dollop of yogurt. Sprinkle with mint.

Lentil and Rice Pilaf with Caramelized Onion Print Ready Recipe

vegetarian, rice recipe, rice and lentil recipe, food, recipe, recipes,

Final notes:

  • This recipe was passed on to me by my multi-talented friend, Marilynne Malkin. It’s adapted from Epicurious; originally from, Bon Appétit, November 2003. Welcome to the next Jittery Cook draw, Marilynne!
  • Brown rice–link to how to cook (thanks to Susan Schwartz), is a healthier choice. More liquid and longer cooking time would be required as per package instructions. I’ll give more precise information after I try it out. If you want to know just how much healthier, check out this list of the 50 healthiest foods.
  • See recipe2recipe‘s latest post for Shrimp DeLong that tastes amazing with this rice dish.
  • Here’s the real scoop about caramelizing onions. Patience, patience!
Related articles
  • Fragrant Lentil Rice Soup with Spinach and Caramelized Onions (aka Dal Bhat Meets Mujaddara) (tastespace.wordpress.com)
  • Walnut Lemon Rice Pilaf (notecook.com)
  • Lentil Salad with Swiss Chard (andreasgardencooking.com)
  • Turkish Rice Pilaf, cost $.16 (frugalhausfrau.wordpress.com)
  • French Lentilicious (bitsandbreadcrumbs.com)
  • Turkish Red Lentil Soup/Mercimek Çorbasi (ilovesoup.net)
  • Get in My Belly: Red Lentils, Kale and Rice (persephonemagazine.com)
  • Lentils with Chickpeas and Spinach (notadietstory.wordpress.com)
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Comments

  1. Susan Schwartz says

    July 2, 2012 at 9:35 am

    i cook brown rice only one way: the way a friend taught me — and she learned it from a 2004 Cook’s Illustrated recipe.
    Cook’s is an amazing magazine, for those of you who don’t know it. Here’s the recipe:

    Cook’s Illustrated foolproof oven-baked brown rice
    Makes 4 cups

    Cover the pot and use the water as soon as it boils. If you have one, Use an 8-inch ceramic baking dish with a lid instead of the baking dish and foil. To double the recipe, use a 13 by 9-inch baking dish: do not increase baking time.

    1 1/2 cups long-grain brown rice
    2 1/3 cups water
    2 teaspoons unsalted butter or vegetable oil
    1/2 teaspoon salt

    Spread rice in 8-inch square baking dish.
    Bring water and butter or oil to boil, covered, in medium pot over high heat; once boiling, immediately stir in salt and pour water over rice. Cover baking dish tightly with doubled layer of foil. Place in middle rack of an oven set at 375 degrees F andnd bake rice 1 hour, until tender.
    3. Remove baking dish from oven and uncover. Fluff rice with dinner fork, then cover dish with clean kitchen towel; let rice stand 5 minutes. Uncover and let rice stand 5 minutes longer; serve immediately.

    Reply
    • Jittery Cook says

      July 2, 2012 at 9:57 am

      OK then! Thanks for that! It’s so good to share info! I do believe you just entered yourself in the next Jittery Cook draw for the BBQ turkey prize pack. I will work on blending your brown rice recipe with the lentil rice pilaf and see what emerges.

      Reply
    • Shelley Alper says

      July 2, 2012 at 10:15 am

      I am a Cook’s Illustrated fan too and have one of their cookbooks. All the recipes are well tested and the explanations are very precise.

      Reply
      • Susan Schwartz says

        July 2, 2012 at 2:03 pm

        i love the magazine, too: sometimes the articles are a bit earnest but i agree with you that the recipes are incredibly well tested and always work!

        Reply
  2. Cheryl says

    July 2, 2012 at 9:40 am

    This is a wonderful dish that I make often. I love your presentation and I will copy you next time….with full credit to my jittery friend, of course!! I also love your list of related articles.

    Reply
  3. Jittery Cook says

    July 2, 2012 at 9:58 am

    Those articles pop up when I write a post! I just have to weed out a few. This blogging business is so much fun! When am i going to read your blog about country living?

    Reply
    • Cheryl says

      July 2, 2012 at 4:36 pm

      I’m a bit worried about libel suits if I don’t change the names….meanwhile, this week it was just the two of us; so zen! Nothing entertaining to write about. I think we scared off the little chickens!

      Reply
  4. Elissa says

    July 2, 2012 at 10:15 am

    I love this dish! I made a variation of this one time and it was fabulous. Roasted pine nuts or walnuts go well. So does a drizzle of reduced pomegranate syrup.

    Reply
    • Jittery Cook says

      July 3, 2012 at 8:43 pm

      I love it too! How long do you cook pomegranate syrup to reduce it? It starts out pretty thick. I want to try your variation. Thanks! Got any more recipes to suggest?

      Reply
  5. Claire's Soups says

    July 2, 2012 at 11:32 am

    Hi Holly,

    Thank for the ping back to my soup. Your Lentil and rice pilaf looks absolutely delicious and can’t wait to give it a try 🙂

    Reply
  6. Erna says

    July 2, 2012 at 2:45 pm

    Did my daughter comment on this blog? I’m so impressed.

    Reply
    • Jittery Cook says

      July 3, 2012 at 9:35 pm

      Me too! Love comments.

      Reply
  7. Anonymous says

    July 2, 2012 at 7:25 pm

    Thanks Holly. The photos really make the fine recipe even more appealing. Helen and I cooked the penne with tomatoes, basil, pine nuts, et al is weekend in the country to the great pleasure of all our guests.

    Reply
    • Jittery Cook says

      July 3, 2012 at 9:35 pm

      Thanks to you for sharing such a winner! Glad to hear you liked the pasta.

      Reply
  8. Mirela says

    July 3, 2012 at 10:54 pm

    Looks really interesting. Is there a way to print out this recipe without the photos? I didn’t find any icon for that….or did I miss it?

    Reply
    • Jittery Cook says

      July 3, 2012 at 10:58 pm

      There is a link right below the recipe. It says Lentil Rice…Print Ready Recipe

      Reply
  9. savorysaltysweet says

    July 12, 2012 at 1:24 am

    This looks so perfectly summery! I can’t wait to give it a try.

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Ginger Peach Chutney – Mom’s Best | jittery cook says:
    September 6, 2013 at 8:21 am

    […] with cheese, rice, lentils, chicken, fish, shrimp, scallops, beef or lamb. Pictured above with Lentil Rice Pilaf and below with Sesame Ginger Chicken. Wonderful and […]

    Reply
  2. Grilled Za’atar Chicken with Cumin Aioli | jittery cook says:
    October 19, 2013 at 9:29 pm

    […] Try serving this with Jittery Cook‘s Lentil Rice with Caramelized Onion. […]

    Reply

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