Classic Spiced Rice and Lentils

Ingredients

• 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon minced garlic
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 8½ ounces (1¼ cups) green or brown lentils, picked over and rinsed
• Salt and pepper
• 1¼ cups basmati rice
• 1 recipe Crispy Onions (recipe follows), plus 3 tablespoons reserved oil
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground allspice
• ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
• 1. For the yogurt sauce: Whisk all ingredients together in bowl. Refrigerate while preparing rice and lentils.
• 2. For the rice and lentils: Bring lentils, 4 cups water, and 1 teaspoon salt to boil in medium saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to low and cook until lentils are tender, 15 to 17 minutes. Drain and set aside. While lentils cook, place rice in medium bowl and cover by 2 inches with hot tap water; let stand for 15 minutes.

Instructions

1. 1Whisk together the yogurt, lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon of minced garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt in a small bowl. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
2. 2Bring the lentils, 4 cups of water, and 1 teaspoon of salt to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the lentils are tender, 15 to 17 minutes. Drain and set aside. Meanwhile, place the basmati rice in a bowl, cover with 2 inches of hot tap water, and let soak for 15 minutes.
3. 3Warm the reserved onion oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Stir in the 3 minced garlic cloves, coriander, cumin, cinnamon, allspice, cayenne, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Cook until highly fragrant, about 2 minutes. Blooming the spices in oil deepens their flavor.
4. 4Drain the soaked rice and add it to the Dutch oven. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the edges of the grains turn translucent, about 3 minutes. Toasting the rice helps keep the grains separate later. Pour in 2 1/4 cups of water, the sugar, and 1 teaspoon of salt, then bring to a boil.
5. 5Gently fold in the cooked lentils. Lower the heat to a gentle simmer, cover the pot, and cook until the rice absorbs all the liquid, about 12 minutes.
6. 6Remove the pot from the heat and take off the lid. Drape a folded clean dish towel over the top of the pot and press the lid back on tightly. Let stand for 10 minutes. The towel absorbs excess steam so the rice stays fluffy, not mushy.
7. 7Remove the lid and towel, then fluff the rice and lentils with a fork. Fold in the minced cilantro and half of the crispy onions. Transfer to a serving platter, top with the remaining crispy onions, and serve with the chilled yogurt sauce.

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