Zesty Turmeric Lentil Rice (One-Pot)

Zesty Tumeric lentil rice is a quick and easy Vegan dish made from filling lentils and rice. The dish is flavored with turmeric, cardamom, cumin, and is enhanced with lime to give it a fresh zesty citrus finish.

One of the best features of this recipe is that it is prepared in one pot the classic cast-iron Dutch oven.

When preparing one-pot dishes the secret is to have all ingredients diced, chopped, and measured before you even add your oil to the cooking pot.

This meal preparation time is only 10 minutes and the cooking time is 30 minutes. So in under 1 hour, you can be sitting down to a healthy meal. 

Delicious when served hot, as an accompaniment to a favorite dish, or even cold. Making this an extremely versatile dish.

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Zesty Turmeric Lentil Rice Recipe

This is a quick and easy vegan dish made from filling lentils and rice. The dish is flavored with turmeric, cardamom, cumin, and is enhanced with lime to give it a fresh zesty citrus finish.

One of the best features of this recipe is that it is prepared in one-pot a Dutch oven.

Note the variation in the cooking instruction for dry lentils and tin lentils.

What Are the Ingredients for Zesty Turmeric Lentil Rice

2 cups long-grain rice
1/2 cup peas (I used baby peas)
1 cup tinned red lentils, washed/well-drained
4 1/2 cups of water
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp red chili powder
1/4 tsp cumin powder
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1 tbsp mustard oil
1 onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves, sliced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 tbsp lime juice

How to Make Zesty Turmeric Lentil Rice

Following these instructions, you will serve a perfect dish every time.

* I used canned lentils for this recipe so just rinse and drain the lentils. You will add them to heat them through when the cooking time has ended.

* If you are using dry lentils cook them before you start preparing this dish. 5-7 minutes for split red lentils and 15-20 minutes for whole red lentils.

Recipe Instructions for Canned Lentils

In a cast iron dutch oven, heated with low to medium heat.

Add the mustard oil, garlic, onion, and cook for 3 minutes on a stovetop

Add the rice, turmeric, cumin, coriander, red chili powder, and cook for 2 minutes

Pour in the water. Cover and cook for 15 minutes

Add the tinned lentils, lime juice, cherry tomatoes, bell pepper, salt, and peas

Cover again and cook for 7 to 8 minutes 

* Dutch ovens get hot! To ensure your dish does not stick or burn keep the heat at low to medium and stir throughout cooking – if required.

To Serve

Whether it is just you or you are preparing a meal for others when serving add 

Serve hot with rosemary strigs, sliced or whole black olives, and lemon or lime wedges on top

Dry Lentils

There are many varieties of dried lentils – read the cooking instructions for your lentils and adjust your cooking time either up or down during the separate cooking time for lentils.

How to Cook White Rice and Lentils Together?

It can be confusing when cooking two staple ingredients together such as lentils and rice.

The simplest way is to boil lentils for approximately 10 minutes before adding rice. At which time you should return the pot to a boil and cook both together until tender approximately another 20 minutes.

What Vegetables Go Well With Lentils?

Knowing what vegetable combinations work with lentils is a learning curve. Here are some tried and true combinations that never fail.

Mushrooms, beetroot, carrots, cauliflower, dates, cabbage, peas, bell peppers.

How Do You Spice up Rice and Lentils?

Lentils much the same as any type of meat need spicing up! Experiment with your favorite herbs and spices.

Then try a combination of some of these: parsley, salt, paprika, cumin, chili flakes.

A fresh taste can be achieved by adding cilantro, lemon, lime when serving.

What Do You Season Lentils With?

As well as using lentils to fill out many dishes like stews, casseroles, soups, and salads you can consume them on your own.

When the lentils are al Dente try adding herbs, olive oil, the fresh juice and/or zest of lemons or limes, plain or flavored kinds of vinegar. 

What Spices Can You Add to Rice?

Rice is one of the wonders of the food world as it will take upon and be enhanced by any flavor that we add to it. Try some of the following.

• Soy sauce
• Garlic
• Saffron
• All-spice or five-spice powder
• Cardamon
• Nutmeg
• Cinnamon – and warm milk – YUM

Frequently Ask Questions

Cook Rice in a Dutch Oven

See my recipe here and learn how to cook perfect fluffy rice in a Dutch oven every time. You can also go here to check out what you need to know about cooking rice in a rice cooker.

To Finish – Zesty Turmeric Lentil Rice Dutch Oven Style

I love the versatility of this dish it is a meal on its own but also tastes awesome with many other dishes.

I recently served this lentil and rice dish with a stir-fried dish made from squash, zucchini, and mushrooms the flavors a so similar the combination was meant to be.

See that recipe here.

At Ovenspot I am committed to bringing you quick and easy recipe ideas, using fresh ingredients, that are prepared “all-in-one-pot”.

One-Pot Cooking Rocks