Indian food is really a vegan/vegetarian’s friend. Embrace it! When you eat plant based, and restrict yourself to a few selected food items, of course you’re going to get bored! When things seem bland, it’s time to expand your horizons and try other veggies/plant based items you’ve never had before! …I especially like trying out spice combinations I’ve never had before. I love Spices, and the following dish has just the right balance to help you spice up that plant based meal of yours!

YUMM!! DOESN’T THAT LOOK DELISH?!

This recipe is from simpleveganblog.com, where you can find plenty other super awesome vegan recipes to take you out of any type of boredom speedbump on your plant based journey.

So, here’s what you’ll need:

• 1 cup lentils (220 grams)
• 1 cup basmati rice (200 grams)
• 2 cloves of garlic
• ½ onion ( or sub 2 tsps onion powder)
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 16 ounces unsalted tomato sauce (450 grams)
• ⅔ cup coconut milk (150 grams)
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon garam masala (or sub an extra tsp of Curry Powder)
• 2 teaspoons curry powder

This is definitely not your average ‘plain Jane’ dish, and if you like Indian food, you’ll definitely love the flavor this plate will bring!

Let‘s get started…

1. First, you’ll have to cook lentils according to package directions. Drain them and set them aside to cool down. (they don’t have to be 100% cooled to continue).
2. Heat olive oil in a frying pan. Add the garlic and the onion (finely chopped) and cook them until golden brown. Add the tomato sauce, coconut milk and spices and cook for about 5 minutes. Stir occasionally to keep from burning onto the bottom of the pan.
3. Toss in your cooked lentils, stir and cook for at least 15 or 20 minutes over medium heat (again, stirring occasionally).
4. Cook basmati or white rice according to package directions. . Drain and set aside.
5. Serve the lentils over the basmati rice. You can add cilantro on top, or chilves… or pretty much any herb (fresh or dried) that you like!

NOTE: I found it a time saver to cook the rice while I had the curry sauce cooking on the frying pan. But if you don’t like multi-tasking, by all means, cook each one at a time.

PERSONALIZE IT

Add roasted veggies to your mix, top with nuts or seeds, and drizzle some hot sauce on top… there are so many different ways you can change this recipe up for each day of the week (if you plan on having it all week long, that is!).

Here are pics with different varieties of this dish:

I hope you enjoy this dish as much as I did!

Much Love,

~Virginia