If you’ve ever heard of the Egyptian dish Koshari you’ll know it’s a comfort dish made with white rice, lentils and pasta and layered with a tomato sauce. That sounded good for a day that didn’t get over 7 degrees (brrrrr!), but I wanted to make a recipe that was a bit less carby and a bit more vegetable-based. So with apologies to the purists, this is how I changed it up:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 teaspoons cumin

1 teaspoon coriander

1 cup brown lentils, soaked for a couple of hours

1 cup brown rice

2 cups vegetable stock

2 cups mixed vegetables (I used peas and corn, but most things would work)

1 teaspoon salt

Good grind black pepper

 

Saute the onion and garlic in a heavy pan until soft and lightly coloured. Add the cumin and coriander and cook for another minute or so. Add the lentils, rice and stock and bake, covered, for about 25 minutes. Check it a couple of times during cooking; you might need to add a bit of water if it gets too dry.

Add your choice of vegetables and cook for another 5-10 minutes, until the water has all been absorbed. Stir through salt and pepper to taste.

I served mine with chopped coriander and roasted eggplant, hard-boiled egg, spicy chutney and roasted peanuts and a carrot and coconut salad on the side. It would be equally good with caramalised onions, tomato pasata or any number of extras!

 

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