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Rice, Lentil and Herb Salad

  • 61 - 90 Minutes
  • Medium
  • Serves 4
  • Rice, Lentil and Herb Salad

Enjoy our tasty rice, lentil, and herb salad that's perfect for a light lunch or dinner. A nice mix of fresh herbs and crunchy vegetables.


Method

Ingredients

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Tilda Pure Basmati Rice, well washed
  • 2 Tbsp butter
  • 2 cups & 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
  • 2 cups onions, thinly sliced
  • 2 ½ Tbsp flour
  • 2 tsp cumin seeds
  • 2 tsp coriander seeds
  • 1 Tbsp brown sugar
  • 3 cups cooked brown or green lentils
  • 1 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 Tbsp cilantro, finely chopped
  • 1 Tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
  • 1 Tbsp fresh mint, finely chopped
  • ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese, garnish

Method

  1. Heat the butter and 2 Tbsp of oil in a medium frying pan over a medium heat and cover with lid. Once its gently sizzling, add the cumin and coriander seeds and stir. Fry for 30 seconds, then add all but ½ cup of the onions, set those aside. Add salt, pepper, and sugar and mix well. Turn the heat to medium-low and fry for 30 mins, stirring 5 times until they are golden and caramelized.

  2. In a medium saucepan, heat 2 cups of oil over a medium high heat. In a medium bowl, toss the remaining onions in the flour. Fry the onions in two batches for 5 minutes each or until golden and crispy. Turn them a couple of times during cooking. Set aside on a paper towel. Discard the oil very carefully once the pan is cool enough to handle.

  3. Bring 3 cups of salted water to a boil in the saucepan. Once it gets to fast rolling boil add the rice, let it come back to a boil, cook for 3 ½ mins then drain. Add the lentils to the onions and mix. Add the rice on top, using a fork so not to break the grains. Use a wooden spoon to poke 3-4 holes down to the onions. Cover with the lid and turn the heat to low, leave to cook for 15mins. Remove from heat and let stand for 2 mins. Using 2 forks, stir in the lemon juice, salt, pepper, and the chopped herbs. Do this once the rice has cooled if you’re eating it cold. Garnish with crumbled feta.

  4. Add the bay leaves, cardamom pods, whole black peppers, and cinnamon sticks, and stir for 30 seconds. Then add the remaining cup of sliced onions, ginger paste, garlic paste, and almond paste. Add a splash of water to prevent burning and sauté covered for about 5 minutes, until the onions have softened.

  5. Tear the basil leaves and add in. Cook for 3-5 minutes.

  6. Serve over a bed of rice and garnish with chili pepper.

Finding Mint for Cooking

Especially in the spring and summer, fresh mint can be obtained in the fresh vegetable area of stores. Fresh large bunches of mint can be found at grocery shops and farmers’ markets during the summer. Mint is relatively simple to grow and does so in profusion throughout the warm months.

Taste of Mint

Mint has a sweet flavor that is fresh, juicy, and aromatic. It leaves a lingering chilly and tingling sensation on the tongue. While spearmint tends to be sweeter, cooler, and more subdued, peppermint has a stronger peppery and menthol flavor.

 

Best Way to Chop Parsley

The best way to chop parsley is to use the rock-chop method where you begin rocking the knife up and down while keeping the tip of the blade always on the surface of the cutting board. This helps maintain cutting control and uses the knife leverage to your advantage to cut cleanly down and through ingredients.

About Feta

Feta is a popular cheese both inside and outside of its native Greece since it is manufactured from sheep’s milk (with goat’s milk added on occasion). Although many other countries create cheeses with a similar texture, only Greek cheeses are allowed to use the name feta on their labels.

Feta works well as an element in salads, major courses, sweet desserts, and side dishes. Consider incorporating feta cheese and going much beyond the Greek salad.

 

The Best Way to Chop Cilantro

Fresh cilantro is often sandy, so it’s best to clean it as soon as you get home from the grocery store. Change the water once or twice and wash again, until no more grit remains. As soon as the cilantro is washed clean, spin in a salad spinner. Alternatively, drain it in a large sieve and shake off the excess water. If you’re wondering how you cut cilantro or how to cut up cilantro, read through the steps below.

  1. Place the cilantro bunch on the cutting board. Wash the cilantro and grab a handful. Pinch the stems together like you would a bouquet of flowers. Lay it on a cutting board
  2. Slice off the long stems. Right where the leaves start to grow, cut off the woody stems, and discard
  3. Chop the cilantro. Cutting from one end of the bunch to the other while using a rocking motion with the knife
  4. Stop when you have reached desired consistency. When it is chopped to your liking (either roughly or finely chopped) it is all ready to go!

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