Warming Puy Lentils & Brown Rice
Tri-doshic - good for Vata, Pitta & Kapha dosha
Puy lentils - high in protein & iron, excellent source of fibre (for cleansing & eliminating the colon plus lowers blood cholesterol), potassium & B-vitamin folate, low GI
Brown rice - low GI (great for diabetics), high-fibre, contains valuable phytochemicals like essential amino acids, minerals, flavonoids, good amount of protein
Gluten free
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 cup Organic Puy lentils
1 cup Organic Brown rice
2 Tabs Ghee
1 Onion chopped
1 small knob Ginger grated
1-2 cloves Garlic
1 tsp Mustard seeds (omit if your constitution is very dry)
1 tsp Cumin seeds
½ tsp Ajwain seeds (warming, digestive)
1 tsp Coriander powder
½ tsp Turmeric powder
½ tsp Paprika powder or cayenne if Pitta dosha is not too high.
Half Organic red capsicum, diced
6-8 stalks Organic silver beet, chard, kale or a bunch of English Spinach
Handful of Organic fresh herbs -
parsley: pulls heavy metals from body
basil: basils have an affinity for clearing congestion & respiratory tract
rosemary
thyme
oregano (warming digestive)
Directions
Prep: If you think of it ahead of time, soak the lentils and brown rice for an hour beforehand to speed up cooking time.
Strain the lentils and brown rice if soaking. Rinse until water is clear.
Place in a medium saucepan with 3 cups of filtered water.
Bring to boil then lower heat to cook steadily for 30 minutes or until the rice is cooked; the puy lentils won’t take quite as long.
Meanwhile:
In a large saucepan, melt the ghee in a large sized pot over medium heat.
Add mustard seeds and when starting to pop, add cumin seeds and ajwain seeds. Saute for a minute.
Add chopped onion, capsicum, garlic and ginger. Saute until softened. I like to add ginger near the end of this step so it doesn’t overcook.
Add other spices, turmeric and paprika. Saute and add more ghee/olive oil or a little warm water if it’s catching on the bottom or seems too dry.
Chop up the stalks of greens on an angle (looks nice) and the greens. Add the stalks to the spice mix and cook for a few minutes.
Once the rice & lentils have nearly cooked you can add them to the sauteed spice mix in the bigger pot. Mix well.
Add the chopped greens and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Serve with a lemon wedge and garnish, such as toasted white or black sesame seeds.