Did you now that 2016 is the year of the pulses? Me neither until recently! Maybe it’s a sign I should add more pulses to our meals like this easy recipe for Curried Lentil Rice? They are healthy with lots of fibre and protein and can be used in a variety of interesting ways. The word “pulse” comes from the Latin “puls” and are the edible seeds of plants in the legume family.
Some examples of pulses include chickpeas, green split peas, aduki beans, mung beans, red lentils, green lentils, black eyed peas, kidney beans, yellow split peas, soya beans, pinto beans, black turtle beans and many more.
The pulse I’m most familiar with is green lentils. I often serve a can of cooked lentils as a side dish to our meals. Another recipe I’ve been making for years is Lentil Rice. Our old neighbour in Petawawa made a batch and I was surprised how delicious it was. I think that was my first experience with lentils. I asked her for the recipe and have been making it regularly for 17+ years!
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Curried Lentil Rice
The Cultured Kitchen March challenge was to create a recipe with a pulse of my choosing. I decided to “Mix in a little India” in an old favourite, Lentil Rice. The result was fabulous. I may even like this version better than the original!
I’m calling this recipe, Curried Lentil Rice. I used Patak’s Hot Curry Paste to make it extra spicy. If you don’t like spicy dishes, use Patak’s Mild Curry Paste instead.
This recipe makes an excellent side for chicken or beef. I ended up eating a bowl of it on its own for lunch. It’s great for a Meatless Monday too.
The longest part of the preparation is cooking the rice. I used converted white rice which takes about 20 minutes to cook. Save on time by using instant rice if you prefer.
I also like to saute the onions and garlic for a few minutes to soften them and tone down the strong flavours. I heat the lentils up in a small saucepan too, but you can use them straight out of the can if you like. I prefer them to be heated up a bit.
The curry paste adds a beautiful and vibrant orange colour to the dish. This is a great recipe to add some extra fibre and protein to your family’s diet.
You might also like my Jamaican Curried Rice and Warm Lentil Salad.
What are your favourite pulses?
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You’ll also like this Hawaiian Fried Rice.
Curried Lentil Rice
The perfect plant-based side! Turn your simple rice and lentils into a super flavorful dish packed with curry.
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked white rice
- 540 ml can of lentils (any variety), rinsed and drained
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tbsp Patak’s Hot Curry Paste
- 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
- juice of half a lemon
Instructions
- Heat lentils in a small saucepan over medium low heat. Set aside.
- Add olive oil to a skillet and saute onions and garlic for 3 to 4 minutes, until softened.
- In a large bowl, combine cooked rice, lentils, cooked onions and garlic, Patak’s Hot Curry Paste, cilantro and lemon juice. Stir. Serve hot.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 216Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 202mgCarbohydrates: 40gFiber: 7gSugar: 7gProtein: 9g
Regina L. L. Wells says
I had no idea what pulses were or that this is the year of the pulses. Very cool. I’m definitely going to make more of an effort to incorporate these into our diet (especially because I want to transition to vegetarian or pescetarian). This is a wonderful recipe that I can’t wait to try. Thank you for sharing it! #ThursdayFavoriteThings
Kathryn @ Family Food on the Table says
I DO love spicy dishes and I’m always looking for new ways to serve lentils – love them but have just recently started using them – so this completely hits the spot!
Janet Vinyard says
Hi Stacie, This dish looks delicious – I look forward to trying it! I like most of the beans pictured in your post with one exception – Black-Eyed Peas! Thanks for sharing this recipe. Blessings, Janet
Pili says
Our Mediterranean culture is still well known for eating healthy foods, and pulses are among them. I love all of them, and together with that rice seems delicious!
Thanks for sharing with us at #2usestuesday!
Angela @ Setting My Intention says
This looks great. We are big lovers of lentils and rice around here so we’ll try it soon!
Danita Carr says
Wow! …This sounds so good! Full of flavor, and healthy too! Pinning to try later! #SmallVictories
Charlie says
I was looking for a post of how to do this without the paste. I have the basic Indian spices, so some portions of them instead of the paste would be helpful to folks living elsewhere in the world. If no one can give me some ball park amounts of curry, etc. I guess it is experimentation time.
Debbie White Beattie says
This looks so good and I like the ingredients because it is a healthier dish but I think I’d switch the white rice for cauliflower rice so it would be totally healthy for me