Lentils and Rice with Spinach and Yogurt Sauce

• Serves: 4

• Adapted from One Pan Wonders

• Contributor: Kate

Ingredients

Yogurt Sauce

• 1c plain whole-milk yogurt
• 2T lemon juice
• 1/2t minced garlic
• 1/2t salt

Lentils and Rice

• 1 1/4c green lentils
• 1 1/4c basmati rice
• 3T vegetable oil
• 2 shallots, minced
• 3 garlic clives, minced
• 1 1/2t ground coriander
• 1 1/2t ground cumin
• 3/4t ground cinnamon
• 1/2t salt
• 6 cups baby spinach
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Instructions

1. Yogurt Sauce Whisk all sauce ingredients together and refrigerate until serving

2. Bring lentils, 4c water, and 1t salt to a boil in a Dutch oven over high heat. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and cook until lentils are tender, about 20 minutes. Drain lentils and transfer to a large bowl.
3. While the lentils cook, place rice in medium bowl, add hot tap water to cover by 2" and let stand 15 minutes. Using your hands, gently swish rice to release excess starch and carefully pour off the water. Continue to add cold tap water to the bowl, swish gently, and pour off the starchy water 5 more times until the water is almost clear. Drain the rice in the fine mesh strainer. (This helps the rice be fluffier)
4. Add oil and shallots to the empty Dutch oven. Cook over medium heat until the shallots are softened (3-5 minutes). Stir in garlic, coriander, cumin, cinnamon and 1/4t pepper and cook until fragrant (30 seconds). Stir in drained rice and cook, stirring occasionally, until the edges of the rice are translucent (about 3 minutes). Stir in 2 1/2 cups of water and 1t salt and bring to a boil. Stir in lentils, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until rice is tender and liquid has been absorbed, about 15 minutes.
5. Remove pot from heat and stir spinach into the pot. Cover the pot and let it sit for about 10 minutes until the spinach is wilted.
6. Sprinkle with almonds and serve with yogurt sauce.

CategoryRecipesLunch CategoryRecipesDinner