Fusion Red Lentils and Rice Stew! Craving a nourishing comfort food bowl or a hearty option for meal prep, this stew delivers everything you want: satisfying texture, big flavor, and wholesome nutrition in one pot.
This Fusion Red Lentils and Rice Stew is the kind of cozy, spoon-in-the-bowl dinner you’ll want on repeat, an effortless mashup of Indian and Middle Eastern flavors that feels both comforting and exciting. Made with tender red lentils and fluffy rice, it’s simmered until rich and velvety, then warmed up with a fragrant blend of bold spices that bring that signature “just-right” depth to every bite.
Whole Food Plant Based, Vegan, plant based, oil free, refined sugar free, no highly processed ingredients and gluten free.
Hi there, Ameera here!
We devoured this delicious red lentil rice stew, it’s pure comfort food in a bowl. The kind of meal that instantly makes the kitchen smell amazing and has you going back for “just one more spoonful.”
If you love cozy, spiced, hearty dinners (the effortless kind), you gotta give this one a try; it’s flavorful, filling, and totally deserves a spot in your regular rotation.
Tips for Success:
- Flavor Profile: This Fusion Red Lentils and Rice Stew is an easy and delicious fusion of Indian and Middle Eastern flavors. It is perfect comfort food for everyday dinner meals. Filled with warming Indian and Middle Eastern spices, rice, and red lentils, this dish is sure to be a nutritious and satisfying meal. The spice level is on the low-to-moderate level but can easily be increased.
- Consistency: This stew has a loose porridge-like consistency. Often times after it has sat in the refrigerator (if there are leftovers), it will thicken up even more. You can add some water to loosen it up back into a porridge-like consistency when reheated.
- Rice: The key to this dish is the rice selection. We used a brown rice; however, any rice will work perfectly. Just make sure to select a rice that does NOT takes a long time to cook. Check package directions on timing. When checking the rice for tenderness, taste test, if not tender, just continue to cook until tender. If all the liquid evaporates, then add more water (about ½ to 1 cup) and continue to simmer until tender. Repeat the process above until the rice is done. Please note that the timing of cooking dry rice is based upon several factors: 1) the type of rice selected 2) the brand of rice selected 3) the age of the rice and 4) the cooking method. Each plays a factor in how long rice takes to cook. We used Ben’s Whole Grain Brown Rice for this dish because it cooks fairly quickly compared to other brands. Brands like Lundberg will not work in this recipe as this brand takes longer to cook.
- Rinse the Red Lentils: Be sure to rinse the red lentils really well, then tend to foam up while rinsing, continue to rinse until the water runs clear.
- Health Benefits of Red Lentils: Red lentils are full of plant-based protein, fiber, and essential minerals. Red lentils contain folate and magnesium, which help improve blood flow to reduce heart disease risks. Red lentils are low on the glycemix index which slows digestion and helps prevent blood sugar spikes. They have great fiber and help feed a healthy gut.
- Amount of Water: If the lentils and rice are still not tender and all the liquid has been absorbed, feel free to additional water and allow to continue to cook.
- Curry Powders: All curry powders are not the same. There are tons of curry options and blends. Use your favorite curry blend. Each blend tends to accent different spices within the blend. We have found that some blends are heavy with turmeric and tend to be slightly acidic on the backend of the palate and others may contain a lot of heat. Feel free to adjust spices based upon the curry blend selected.
- Middle Eastern Seven Spices: There are many different versions of Middle Eastern 7 Spice Blends largely dependent on regional differences. The most common and consistent spices are allspice, cinnamon, coriander, cloves, cumin, and nutmeg. If you have Middle Eastern 7 Spice Blend in your spice cabinet, then feel free to use it. If you don’t want to purchase Middle Eastern 7 Spice Blend, then feel free to ramp up the curry powder and skip the “fusion” part of this recipe.
- Spices: Feel free to ramp up the spices if you wish to suit your own personal preference.
- Amount of Sea Salt: Our family was completely divided over the amount of sea salt needed to properly flavor this soup. For most palates, we felt 1 ½ teaspoons worked well.
- Table Salt: If using table salt, you should use less table salt than the amount listed in the ingredients as sea salt crystals are larger than table salt crystals. Since table salt crystals are very fine, less table salt is required to season a dish. We would suggest starting with about 1/4 to 1/2 the amount of sea salt listed. You can always add more salt but cannot take it away. We recommend using sea salt as it is less refined than table salt.
- Sea Salt: Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.
Leftovers and Freezing:
Leftovers will generally keep 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. Store in a covered air-tight container.
This stew freezes well.
Pantry Products:
- Red Lentils: We used Clear Creek Red Lentils. They are delicious. Feel free to use your favorite red lentils.
- Rice: We used Ben’s Whole Grain Brown Rice for this dish. Feel free to use your favorite brand and type of rice.
- Sea Salt: Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.
Kitchen Equipment:
- Large stock pot with a lid
If you try this flavorful dish, we would love to know if you enjoy it as much as we do! Please leave us a review! Post a picture on Facebook or Instagram and tag us! We would love to hear from you.
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Fusion Red Lentil Rice Stew
- Prep Time: 15 Minutes
- Cook Time: 50 Minutes
- Total Time: 65 Minutes
- Yield: 5 ¾ Cups 1x
- Category: Stew
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Indian Inspired, Middle Eastern Inspired
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Fusion Red Lentils and Rice Stew is the kind of cozy, spoon-in-the-bowl dinner you’ll want on repeat, an effortless mashup of Indian and Middle Eastern flavors that feels both comforting and exciting.
Ingredients
Base Ingredients
- 1 medium yellow onion, fine dice
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons minced ginger
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 5 cups water
- ½ cup dry rice, (of choice), rinsed well *
- 1 cup red lentils, rinsed well *
Spice/Herb Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin (+/-)
- 1 ¾ teaspoons curry powder (+/-) *
- ¾ teaspoon Middle Eastern Seven Spices Blend (+/-) *
- ½ teaspoon ground mustard powder (+/-)
- ¼ teaspoon coriander (+/-)
- ¼ to 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt (+/-)
- Pinch to 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (+/-)
Other Ingredients
- 1 cup light coconut milk (from can)
Optional Ingredients
- Sprinkle chopped fresh cilantro
Serving Ideas
- Naan, pita, or flatbread
Instructions
- Rinse the red lentils really well with cold water for several minutes until the water is clear and no longer foamy, set aside.
- Place all the Spice/Herb Ingredients into a small bowl, whisk well, set aside.
- In a large stockpot, sauté the diced onions over medium-high heat for 7 to 9 minutes until they start to become tender. Add a splash of water to prevent sticking/burning if needed.
- Reduce the heat and add the minced garlic, minced ginger, and tomato paste, sauté for 1 minute, then add the Spice/Herb Mix and sauté for 30 seconds until the spices become fragrant.
- Then add the 5 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Add the rice, stir well. Place a lid on the pot and simmer with a low-percolating boil for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, remove the lid and add the red lentils, stir well, then place the lid back on and simmer with a low-percolating boil for 17 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Test the rice for tenderness. The rice should be nearly tender. If the rice is still hard or very chewy, evaluating the liquids and add more water if needed to continue to simmer the rice. See notes on rice.
- After the rice is nearly tender, add the light coconut milk, stir well to incorporate. Simmer with a low-percolating boil (uncovered) for an additional 8 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Taste test to evaluate spices. If more are needed, add and simmer for several more minutes until the desired flavor is achieved.
- When the stew has thickened and the rice (and red lentils) are perfectly tender and has become creamy and consists of a loose porridge-like consistency, it is done.
- Remove from the stove, serve with naan, pita, (or flatbread) and a sprinkle of fresh cilantro.
Notes
Please reference the blog post for Tips for Success, Pantry Items Used, Storage and Freezing, and Kitchen Products Used.
Sea Salt: Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.
Serving: 4 (makes 5 ¾ cups)
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