Ingredients
Berbere Lentils & Greens with Rice
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 3/4 cup bulk long grain brown rice
- 3/4 cup bulk dry red lentils
- 2 Tbsp. Berbere spices (see below recipe to make your own)
- 2 tsp. bulk granulated garlic
- 1 tsp. bulk ground ginger root
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 2 1/2 cups water
- 1/2 bag Sno-Pac frozen spinach
- 2 oz. bulk whole almonds
- 1 medium lemon, juice and zest
Berbere Spice Blend
- 2 tsp. fenugreek seeds
- 1 tsp. coriander seeds
- 1 tsp. ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp. black peppercorns
- 2-3 pods cardamom
- 1 Tbsp. red pepper flakes
- 2 tsp. smoked paprika
- 3 Tbsp. sweet paprika
- 1 Tbsp. dried basil
- 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
Servings: servings
Units:
Instructions
- Place frozen spinach in bowl to thaw partially. Dice onion and set aside.
- Heat half of olive oil over medium heat in a large frying pan or saucepan (you want a lot of surface area, so the bigger the better). Add onion and sauté for 4-5 minutes, or until it starts to soften. Add red lentils and Berbere spice blend. Sauté for 2 minutes, stirring often to prevent spices from burning to bottom of pan.
- Add water. Stir to remove any seasoning from bottom of pan. Cover and reduce heat to a very low simmer (only a few bubbles). Cook the lentil mixture 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Meanwhile, prepare brown rice. Bring a 2-quart pot of water to a boil. Salt water generously and add rice. Reduce heat to a simmer for about 25 to 30 minutes. Drain rice in a fine sieve or colander and return to pot to stay warm if it finishes before lentils.
- While lentils and rice are cooking, toast almonds in a medium pan over low heat, constantly stirring to prevent burning. Set aside.
- Squeeze excess water out of thawed spinach. Heat remaining olive oil in almond pan over medium heat and sauté spinach with a pinch of salt, dried garlic, and ground ginger for 3-4 minutes.
- When lentils are cooked, add spinach, salt (to taste), and lemon juice. Serve lentils and greens with rice, topped with toasted almonds and a sprinkle of lemon zest, if desired.
Berbere Spice Blend
- Set a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add fenugreek, coriander, peppercorns, and cardamom pods. Toast spices, stirring constantly, until spice smells are released, roughly 3 to 5 minutes.
- Let toasted spices cool. Add them to a clean spice grinder, along with chili flakes, and grind finely. You can do this in several batches using a mortar and pestle if preferred. Add 10 minutes to your prep time if hand-crushing spices.
- Pour ground spices into a jar. Add smoked paprika, sweet paprika, dried basil, ginger, and cinnamon. Shake or stir to combine. The spice blend will keep well in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Recipe Notes
Recipe sourced from East Side Table and adapted by Kim Werst of Eat Closer to Home
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