Big Vegan Flavor
Techniques and 150 recipes to master vegan cooking.
Lentils and rice are such a classic, budget-friendly pairing in so many cuisines, and I’m excited to share a really fun, jazzed up version with you today!
Lentils are tossed with a spiced oil and broiled until crispy, then mixed with Indian-flavored aromatics and herbs. To finish, the lentils are plated over white rice and drizzled with a quick yogurt sauce.
Not only does this dish cost less than $2 per serving, but it’s also nourishing and packed with fun Indian-inspired flavors.
And I’m extra excited to share this dish with you because it’s also the FIRST RECIPE from my new cookbook, Big Vegan Flavor, that I’m sharing on the blog.
If you’re new around these parts, Big Vegan Flavor spans over 600 pages and contains over 150 recipes! But more than that, it’s my attempt to synthesize the techniques behind great plant-based cooking into one resource you’ll turn to again and again.
It officially releases on September 3rd, but if you order now you can get some pretty amazing bonus content for free! Check out the section of this page titled “Bonus content, exclusively for pre-orders” for details on how you can receive all the bonus goodies!
Why you’ll love this recipe
A textural wonderland
When you hear the word lentils, you probably don’t think crispy. You might think smooth and creamy as in dal or lentil curries, or tender with a bite as in lentil salads.
But lentils, like other plant proteins such as chickpeas or tofu, can also be crispy! All you need is a hot oven and a bit of oil to turn lentils into crispy perfection.
The crispy lentils are plated on top of soft, fluffy-chewy white rice and then drizzled with a creamy yogurt sauce, so you get a delightful medley of textures in each bite.
I feel so strongly about the importance of fun food textures that I incorporated an entire chapter into Big Vegan Flavor on how to create the textures we love the most—creamy, crispy, crunchy, chewy—using plant-based ingredients.
Simple ingredients, big flavor
As long as you have a well-stocked spice cabinet, the ingredients in this recipe are quite minimal. All you need are basic brown or green lentils, white rice, a few spices and aromatics, oil, and vegan yogurt.
Don’t let that pared down ingredient list fool you though! The Indian-inspired flavors in this dish are bold, fun, and exciting.
That’s all thanks to the infused oil, which features shallots, garlic, and spices toasted in oil.
This spiced oil brings flavor to the dish in two ways: (1) first, the aromatics and spices infuse the oil with lots of flavor, which is great since that oil is later used to broil the lentils; (2) the aromatics and spices themselves become after being sauteed in oil since these ingredients are fat-soluble.
Checks all the boxes
It’s hard to not love a recipe that is flavorful, nourishing, and budget-friendly. We’ve already discussed flavor, so let’s talk about the other two.
Lentils pack in both fiber and protein, keeping you full for hours. And the spices, chiles, and garlic in this dish bring the antioxidants. Plus, this dish is allergen friendly and free of gluten, nuts, and soy (and of course, dairy!).
On the budget front, according to my very precise calculations (an Excel spreadsheet was involved), this dish costs less than $2 per serving. And given that I live in San Diego, CA (recently named the most expensive city in America 😭), the cost of these ingredients may be even lower where you live.
Tips for making this recipe
Cook the lentils only until al dente.
When you simmer the lentils, cook them only until al dente: cooked through but with a bite, not soft. If the lentils are soft, they won’t retain their texture as much for the broiled lentils.
For brown and green lentils, this means only 10 to 12 minutes at a decent simmer. For French green lentils, simmer for 17 to 20 minutes.
Use a creamy, tangy vegan yogurt.
Yogurt is used in savory Indian dishes to provide a source of acidity as well as to provide a creamy cooling element to balance spiciness.
So a creamy vegan yogurt that’s tart/tangy in flavored will work best. Even some plain-flavored vegan yogurts have a slightly sweet flavor, so I recommend using a yogurt you’ve already tried and like.
My two favorite brands are Culina and CocoJune (coconut based, creamy & thick, tart, and no coconut flavor). I also like GT’s CocoYo and Pillar’s coconut yogurt though it may not be as widely available. For a non-coconut base, try Kite Hill’s plain-flavored almond yogurt.
Read these Tips for broiling lentils!
- If you find that you don’t have enough reserved spiced oil to coat the lentils well before broiling them, just add another drizzle of any neutral-flavored oil and toss to combine.
- Spread the lentils out on the sheet pan as best you can on the sheet pan without too much overlap so they can crisp up evenly.
- Arrange an oven rack in the second shelf of your oven, not the one directly underneath the broiler (to avoid burning the lentils).
- After broiling the lentils for 4 minutes, toss them, and broil for another 2 minutes. You’re looking for the lentils to be crispy with a light crunch, not rock hard crunchy (you don’t want them to be like pebbles!).
- After that 6 minutes, you’ll want to check the lentils frequently to prevent burning. The exact time will depend on the strength of your broiler as well as the variety of lentil. In my experience, green lentils take the shortest amount of time (typically 6 minutes), whereas brown lentils take a minute or two longer (and French green lentils can take closer to 8 to 10 minutes).
Frequently Asked Questions
How should I serve this dish?
For me, this is a complete meal that would serve about three people for dinner. But, if you want to add a vegetable into the mix, nearly any vegetable side dish would work.
I think roasted cauliflower or roasted eggplant would be particularly good pairings (there are recipes for quick roasted cauliflower and jammy roasted eggplant in Big Vegan Flavor!).
Or, serve alongside an Indian kachumber salad: chopped tomato, cucumber, and red onion tossed with lemon juice, cilantro, cayenne pepper, and salt.
PS: For folks who preordered the cookbook, check out the Mango Kachumber Salad in the Indian-Inspired Dinner Party Menu, part of the bonus preorder package!
I don’t have a broiler in my oven. Can I still make this dish?
Sure, you can simply roast the lentils in your oven to get them crispy.
Toss the lentils in the spiced oil and salt/pepper as listed, then roast on the sheet pan at 400ºF/200ºC or 425ºF/220ºC for 15 minutes, then toss. Shake the pan to toss and roast for 5 to 10 more minutes until crispy but not rock hard.
I can’t tolerate spicy food. Can I omit the serrano pepper?
Sure, you can. But given the relatively simple ingredient list, the serrano pepper does add quite a bit of flavor (in addition to heat).
If you can handle a bit of heat, I would use a jalapeño pepper (which is slightly less spicy than a serrano) and use half of it.
Or for mild heat, use a jalapeño pepper, remove the membranes and seeds (which is where the vast majority of the heat lives), and finely chop the pepper instead of thinly slicing into rounds.
I hope you enjoy this sneak peek recipe from my new cookbook!
Big Vegan Flavor officially comes out on September 3rd, which means you still have time to pre-order the book! If you’re wondering why you should pre-order before the official publication date, it’s because I’ve created an incredible package of bonus content for folks who preorder! You can read more about what’s inside the book and all the bonus goodies on this page.
To everyone who has already pre-ordered the book, THANK YOU a million times over. Y’all are making my dreams come true, and I am honored by your support. Please visit this page for instructions on accessing your bonus content!
Crispy Indian-ish Lentils with Rice & Yogurt
Level up weeknight dinners with this crispy lentils and rice recipe from my new cookbook, Big Vegan Flavor! Lentils are tossed in spiced oil, broiled to perfection, and paired with aromatic Indian flavors over a bed of white rice, all drizzled with a creamy yogurt sauce.
- 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.
- 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.