Glorified Crunchy Rice

Crunchy Rice with Lentils & Sauteed Veggies

You know the rice that sticks to the bottom of the pot (or steamer) when you cook it?  The crunchy, coveted, burnt-but-not-burnt grains that everybody fights over?  It’s definitely the best part of the rice, but you usually don’t get much to enjoy per batch of cooked rice.

Well, here’s an idea: purposely make a pan full of crunchy rice!  Just take leftover rice, spread it out in the biggest-diameter frying pan you’ve got, and cook the rice for about 20 minutes.  You’ll have plenty of crunchy rice to share.  In this case, I added some lentils, veggies, and cheese to that crunchy rice to make a tasty dinner.

Mediterranean Crunchy Rice with Lentils & Sautéed Vegetables
Makes enough for 2 very hungry people or 4 mediumly-hungry people, but of course how much leftover rice you have will greatly determine how many diners this recipe will serve.

Cooked leftover rice (about 2 cups)
1 cup lentils
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 zucchini, cut into quarters and then coarsely chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 medium-sized tomatoes, chopped
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. coriander
1/4 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. fenugreek (optional)
Feta cheese (optional)

Melt about 1 tablespoon butter or ghee over medium heat in the widest frying pan you have.  Spread rice out in it in a thin layer.  Let cook for 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so to prevent scorching.  If the rice begins to feel like it’s too crunchy, turn down the heat a notch or two.

Prepare lentils according to package directions.  If you have red lentils, only simmer them for 5 minutes; if you have any other kind, it will probably take them 15 to 20 minutes to be somewhat tender to the tooth.

In the meantime and in another frying pan, sautée onion over medium heat for about 2 minutes or until it’s beginning to turn translucent.  Add garlic and cook, stirring often, for another minute.  Stir in zucchini and red pepper and let cook for at least 5 minutes to allow both to soften.

Stir in tomatoes and spices, reduce heat to low, and let mixture simmer for at least 3 minutes.  If you’d like to hold the veggies while the rice and/or lentils finish cooking, you can cover the vegetables, shift them off the heat, and reheat them briefly before proceeding to the final step.

Stir cooked lentils and rice into your vegetable base.  When serving, you might want to top with a sharp-flavored Mediterranean cheese (such as sheep’s-milk Feta) for a nice salty contrast/accent to the dish.

Enjoy!

Tags: crunchy rice, fenugreek, lentils, mediterranean, rice, zucchini