Caramelized Onion and Lentil Pilaf

By Nigella Lawson

Published April 1, 2003

Total Time
40 minutes
Rating
4(120)
Comments
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Back in 2003, Nigella Lawson brought to The Times a recipe for chicken and apricot masala, and with it, she paired this dish, a caramelized onion and lentil pilaf. “The sweet smokiness of scorched onion and the depth of spicing you get from cumin, coriander and cloves more than balances out the rich texture of the rice studded with lentils and mustard seeds,” she wrote. “This dish is robust and earthy ballast. I might even have it by itself for supper, with no more than a salad of diced cucumber, dressed with yogurt and dried mint, on the side.” Perhaps you should do the same.

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Ingredients

Yield:6 servings

  • 3 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter) or vegetable oil

  • 1 onion, peeled, halved and thinly sliced into half-moons

  • ½ teaspoon turmeric

  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin

  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander

  • 2 cloves

  • ½ teaspoon mustard seeds

  • 4 dried curry leaves (optional)

  • 2 teaspoons salt

  • Black pepper

  • 1 cup French green lentils

  • 1 cup basmati rice

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

48 grams carbs; 301 calories; 5 grams monosaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 8 grams fat; 5 grams fiber; 215 milligrams sodium; 11 grams protein; 2 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a large heavy-based saucepan, heat ghee over medium heat. Add onion slices, and sauté until softened and deep golden brown. Remove half the onions and set aside.

  2. Step 2

    Reduce heat to medium-low and add turmeric, cumin, coriander, cloves, mustard seeds and curry leaves. Add salt, and season with black pepper to taste.

  3. Step 3

    Combine lentils and rice in a fine-meshed sieve, and rinse well with cold water. Drain, then add to pan. Add 4 cups water, raise heat, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to very low, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes. Water should be completely absorbed; if not, remove pan from heat, remove lid and cover pan with a kitchen towel, then replace lid and allow to stand for 10 minutes.

  4. Step 4

    To serve, fluff pilaf with a fork, and transfer to a serving bowl. Garnish with reserved onions.

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4 out of 5
120 user ratings
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Comments

jrao

Yep, you absolutely must soak the lentils. A trick from my Pakistani mother-in-law is to soak them in hot water for about half an hour. Then they will cook up nicely with the basmati rice.

pelicano

Hi. The solution to this problem of under-cooked lentils in a pilaf is to separately rinse them well, and cover them with water to soak until plumped, and then drained before adding to the pilaf. I'd say about 4 hours or so will do. The liquid in the recipe (water in this case), must then be adjusted; I would try reducing it to 3 C if soaking the lentils beforehand.

Neila

Love Nigella and her recipes, but this was a total failure. Lentil completely undercooked, even though I soaked them for almost an hour after reading the notes left her... And when I tried to cook them for longer, the rice disintegrated :(

Anna J

This recipe along with the Chicken and Apricot Marsala are amongst my favourite meals. I think about it often and miss making it. It was published in Australia in Delicious magazine and I have misplaced my well loved copy after moving house several times over the years. I came across this today and will definitely be making it soon.

Rebecca

Maybe starting the lentils and then add the rice when they’re about 20 minutes from being cooked. A similar recipe indicates cooking lentils to desired tenderness, then straining them out and using the same seasoned water to cook the rice.

Sheri in HNL

The French green lentils were undercooked after I followed the recipe faithfully, as other cooks reported. The label on my yellow lentils gives a 15-20 minute cooking time, so I will substitute yellow for green lentils next time. Kathy in Ca suggested brown rice instead of white. Red rice requires 30 minutes cooking time. That is closer to the cooking time of green lentils, so that's another variation that might work.

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