Name: Lentil “Dirty Rice” Recipe
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 20 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 6 japanese eggplants, sliced into 1-inch rounds and lightly salted for 15-20 minutes prior to cooking; 2 cloves garlic, sliced; 1 tablespoon sesame oil; 1 tablespoon canola oil; ½ red onion, diced; ¼ cup cider vinegar; ⅛ cup sherry vinegar; ¼ cup mirin; 2 tablespoons soy sauce; ¼ cup agave; 1 teaspoon whole coriander; 1 pinch chili flakes; salt and pepper, to taste; 4 cups legumes, or use your favorite grains (I use an even mix of brown rice, black rice, and quinoa. Sushi rice could also be used, mixed with lentils then chilled, cut into bars, and fried); 1 cup garbanzo beans, cooked and drained; 1 tablespoon canola oil, if baking; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; 1 teaspoon smoked paprika; 1 teaspoon chili powder; salt, to taste; 1 cup plain yogurt; 1 tablespoon sumac; 1 teaspoon cumin; 2 tablespoons honey; salt, to taste; 1 cup mixed herbs, such as mint, cilantro, basil, and scallions

How To Make Lentil “Dirty Rice”

Whip up a batch of this dirty rice for lunch! It’s got all the best Creole flavors and paired with a creamy yogurt sauce for extra richness.

Preparation: 25 minutes

Cooking: 20 minutes

Total: 45 minutes

Serves:

Ingredients

For Sweet and Sour Eggplant:

6japanese eggplantssliced into 1-inch rounds and lightly salted for 15 to 20 minutes prior to cooking
2garlic clovessliced
1tbspsesame oil
1tbspcanola oil
½red oniondiced
¼cupcider vinegar
⅛cupsherry vinegar
¼cupmirin
2tbspsoy sauce
¼cupagave
1tspwhole coriander
1pinchchili flakes
salt and pepperto taste

For Grain Blend:

4cupslegumesor use your favorite grains

For Crispy Garbanzo Beans:

1cupgarbanzo beanscooked and drained
1tbspcanola oilif baking
1tspgarlic powder
1tspground cumin
1tspsmoked paprika
1tspchili powder
saltto taste

For Sumac Yogurt Sauce:

1cupplain yogurt
1tbspsumac
1tspcumin
2tbsphoney
saltto taste

For Garnish:

1cupmixed herbssuch as mint, cilantro, basil, and scallions

Instructions

Sweet and Sour Eggplant:

Heat a large sauté pan over high heat.
Add the sesame oil and canola oil, then the salted eggplant.
Sauté until the eggplant begins to brown, adding more canola oil if needed.
In a bowl or measuring cup, combine the onion, garlic, cider vinegar, sherry vinegar, mirin, soy sauce, agave, coriander, and chili flakes.
Deglaze the hot browning eggplant pan with the vinegar mixture, allowing it to reduce by about half.
Season with salt and pepper, then set aside.

Crispy Garbanzo Beans:

Toss the garbanzo beans with the garlic powder, ground cumin, paprika, chili powder, and salt, then fry them for about 4 minutes, until golden brown and crunchy.
Drain them on a paper towel while cooling.
Alternatively, bake the garbanzo beans with the oil and spices, for 45 minutes.

Sumac Yogurt Sauce:

Combine the yogurt, sumac, cumin, honey, and salt, then keep cold until ready to use.
Place the grains in the base of a bowl.
Top with warm eggplant, crispy garbanzo beans, a drizzle of sumac yogurt and mixed herbs.
Serve, and enjoy!