Mikey's Lentils

This is a vegan & gluten-free recipe for making lentils & rice. It was originally crafted by my friend Mikey, who gave me permission to open source it after Marcin asked for it following me cooking it for him & Catarina.

I frequently make this dish for pot lucks or for large events. It scales very well, requires few ingredients, the ingredients don't require refrigeration except the cilantro (which can be omitted in a pinch), is very cheap, filling, and delicious.

Ingredients

Parts are given as a rough estimate by volume

1. 15 parts lentils
2. 15 parts (brown) rice
3. 5 parts onions
4. 1 part garlic
5. 1 part spicy peppers (optional)
6. 1 part whole peppercorns
7. 1 part high-heat oil (canola, sunflower, coconut, peanut, etc)
   1. Use enough oil to entirely cover the bottom of Pot #2
8. 1 part italian seasoning or herbs de provance
9. 1 part cinnamon
10. 1 part sugar
11. 1 part bouillon
12. 3 parts tomatoes
13. 3 parts cilantro

Process

Before beginning, I try to soak the lentils for several hours (just put them your pot or bowl with 4x the amount of water as lentils). This water should be dumped.

Soaking the lentils is beneficial for digestion & reduces cooking time, but it's not strictly necessary. In any case, make sure to thoroughly wash (and then drain) the lentils before proceeding.

1. In Pot #1, throughly rinse your rice. After the water runs clean, fill the pot with water & set aside to soak.
2. First, cut up a few of your veggies & put them in separate bowls for later
   1. Cut onions into bite-sized pieces
   2. Cut tomatoes into bite-sized pieces
   3. Mince garlic
3. In Pot #2, light the fire set to its highest setting
4. In Pot #2, preheat the metal pot for a half-minute or so. Make sure there's no water in the pot.
5. In Pot #2, add oil & allow it to heat for about a minute
6. In Pot #2, add the whole peppercorns. Wait until you hear one pop before proceeding with the next step.
7. In Pot #2, add the chopped onions
8. In Pot #2, add about 10% of your garlic. The other ~ 90% will be set aside to be added at the end
9. Continue to fry in pot #2 on high heat until the onions are translucent and perhaps a little burnt.
10. In Pot #2, once the onions are fully cooked, add the washed & drained lentils. Let them fry for a few minutes.
11. In Pot #2, add about 10% of your chopped tomatoes. The other ~ 90% will be set aside, served raw in the garnish. Let the onion-lentil-tomatoes fry for a few minutes.
12. In Pot #2, also add your Italian seasoning & cinnamon. Err on the side of adding less cinnamon than more; you can always add more at the end (unless you're using a cinnamon stick)
13. In Pot #2, add water to the pot until the waterline is about 2 inches above the food line.
14. In Pot #2, add your spicy peppers. I generally prefer to just throw them in whole or just sliced in half length-wise. This way the dish gets the flavor of the peppers without becoming especially spicy for all. But for those who prefer especially spicy, they can serve themselves with one of the half-peppers in their own bowl to eat.
15. Cover Pot #2 and bring to boil. After it boils, set on simmer. Let it simmer for about 45 minutes, but check on it every 15-20 minutes or so. Add water as needed to prevent burning.
16. As Pot #2 comes to a boil, rinse the rice in pot #1 a few more times until the water runs clear.
17. In Pot #1, add water to the rice until the water line is a few cm above the rice line. I like to use the "knuckle test." If you reach in the pot so your finger is just touching the top of the rice, the water line should be up to the first knuckle on your index finger.
18. Put Pot #1 on the fire set to its highest setting. Cover it and bring to a boil. After it comes to a boil, set to simmer for about 15-45 minutes. Check it ever 15 minutes & add water as needed to prevent burning.
19. While the lentils & rice cook, go ahead and wash your cilantro. You want to wash it & pick through it *very* well. Cilantro usually has a lot of dirt on it and often some of the bunch has already rotten. It's not uncommon for me to spend 10 minutes picking through the cilantro to remove black or rotting herb & rinsing it again-and-again.
20. After the cilantro is cleaned, finely chop it (stem and all) and mix with the tomatoes. This cilantro + tomato mixture will be added raw ontop of the rice/lentils as a garnish when served.
21. The rice in Pot #1 will be done when it is tender enough to eat pleasurably, but not mushy. When it's done, turn off the fire, leave covered, and set aside.
22. The lentils in Pot #2 will be done when the lentils are tender enough to eat pleasurable, but not mushy.
23. In Pot #2, when the lentils are just about ready, do a taste test. Add more cinnamon or italian seasoning per your tastes.
24. In Pot #2, add the rest of your minced garlic
25. In Pot #2, add bouillon cubes 1-at-a-time. After each cube, stir & let it cook for about a minute, then taste test. When the salt is just tasteable, you're done adding bouillon.
26. In Pot #2, finally, add a pinch of sugar to your liking. Err on the side of less; you only want a bit of sweetness

Serve

Serve in bowls with rice next to lentils and a spoon-full of the garnish on-top.