Sweet and Spicy Red Lentils

Sweet and spicy red lentils piled on a hearty wild rice blend with greens is the perfect vegan recipe to add to your repertoire.

Easy to prepare and hearty, these spicy red lentils take on a pleasant sweetness from plump golden raisins.

These red lentils are bursting with flavor. Nuttiness from toasted black mustard seeds, sweetness from raisins, and heat from Thai chili peppers (and white chili powder).

What you need

• Black mustard seeds: If you can’t find them, omit them, but they add a really nice toasted nutty flavor to the lentils.
• Aromatics: You’ll need red onion, ginger, garlic, sweet peppers, and Thai chili peppers (or a jalapeño).
• Spices: The lentils are seasoned with cumin, turmeric, and white chili powder. I found white chili powder at my local Punjabi market. If you can’t find it, you can omit it or replace it with cayenne powder to taste.
• Red lentils: You can substitute with brown lentils or use three 15-ounce cans of chickpeas instead.
• Golden raisins: These add a nice sweetness to the lentils. You can use ½ cup Zante currants, chopped dried apricots, or dried figs instead.
• Rice: I use RiceSelect Royal Blend Wild Rice Blend because of its quick cooking time. You can use your favorite long-grain rice or try it with wild rice or brown rice. Keep in mind that brown rice and many wild rice blends may take up to 45 minutes to steam.
• Greens: I add baby greens (a blend of baby kale and spinach) to my rice after it cooks. Try it with baby kale, baby spinach, or arugula.

How to make it

Step 1: Sauté the mustard seeds.
Start by cooking the mustard seeds in hot oil until they become fragrant and begin to pop.

Step 2: Cook the aromatics in layers.
Add the red onion and ginger, then layer in the garlic and dry spices, and finish with the sweet and hot peppers.

Step 3: Simmer the lentils.
Add the tomatoes, water, lentils, golden raisins, and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes until tender.

Step 4: Make the rice.
Make the rice according to package directions. Once it’s tender, remove the lid and add the greens with a bit of extra virgin olive oil. Cover again and allow the residual steam from the rice to cook the greens.

Step 5: Serve it up!
Spoon the rice and greens into bowls and spoon the red lentils on top. Finish with fresh cilantro if desired.

Sweet and Spicy Red Lentils

Sweet and spicy red lentils piled on a hearty wild rice blend with greens is the perfect vegan recipe to add to your repertoire.

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Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Inactive time: 40 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 6

Calories: 339kcal

Equipment

• Large pot
• Medium saucepan

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons black mustard seeds omit if you can’t find them
• 1 red onion peeled and diced
• 2-inch piece ginger peeled and minced; yielding about 2 tablespoons minced
• 5 cloves garlic peeled and minced
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• Cayenne powder or white chili powder, optional; to taste
• 4 small sweet peppers trimmed, seeded, and diced, or use 1 red bell pepper
• 2 Thai chili peppers trimmed and minced, or use 1 jalapeño pepper
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 4 cups water
• 12 ounces red lentils picked over and rinsed
• 1 cup golden raisins
• 1½ to 2 teaspoons kosher salt plus more to taste
• 1 cup RiceSelect Royal Blend (Wild Rice Blend) or long-grain white rice; see Note 1
• 3 ounces baby kale or use baby spinach, arugula, or a blend
• 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• Cilantro leaves roughly chopped; for serving

Instructions

Sauté the aromatics:

• Heat 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. If using, add the mustard seeds and cook for 1 minute, or until fragrant and beginning to pop.
• Reduce the heat to medium. Add the red onion and ginger to the mustard seeds and sauté for 5 minutes until the onion begins to soften. Add the ground cumin, turmeric, cayenne powder (if using), and minced garlic. Cook for 45 seconds until fragrant.
• Add the sweet peppers and minced Thai chili peppers. Sauté for 5 minutes and season with a pinch of salt.

Simmer the red lentils:

• Pour the tomatoes and water into the pot. Add the rinsed lentils and stir to combine. Add 1 cup golden raisins and season with 1½ teaspoons kosher salt. You may need to add more as it simmers.
• Bring the lentils to a boil, and then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes or until the lentils are very tender, adding more water if necessary. Stir the lentils occasionally to ensure they do not stick to the pot.

Prepare the rice and greens:

• While the lentils simmer, prepare the rice according to the package instructions in a medium saucepan.
• As soon as the rice finishes simmering, turn off the heat, remove the lid, and place the greens on top. Drizzle them with 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil and season with a pinch of kosher salt. Return the lid to the pot for 5 minutes or until the greens begin to wilt from the steam.
• Toss the greens in the warm rice until fully wilted and warm. Remove from heat.

Finish the red lentils:

• Taste the red lentils and adjust the seasoning as needed. Remove from the heat.

To serve:

• Divide the rice and greens between bowls and spoon the sweet and spicy red lentils on top. Serve with fresh cilantro leaves if desired. Enjoy!

Recipe notes

Note 1: The cooking time will vary depending on the rice. I recommend RiceSelect Royal Blend, as it has a short simmer time of 15 minutes. If you want the rice to cook quickly, use the blend above or a long-grain white rice; both will take 15 minutes to simmer. Brown rice or other wild rice blends may take up to 45 minutes to simmer. Refer to the package instructions for guidance.

Nutrition

Calories: 339kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 412mg | Fiber: 20g | Sugar: 17g