Lambros' kitchen travellog

The next food on the list is a comfort food from Bangladesh. The actual dish is a mix of rice and lentils, with plenty of aromatics, as is usually done in this part of the world. Unfortunately, when I was about to prepare this, I realised that I didn’t have lentils at home… THE HORROR!!!! Well, it wasn’t that bad! I just added beans instead. That’s why the list of ingredients I have beans. Not the same, but still something to complement the rice. But, to be honest, I think that lentils would have worked better.

Ingredients

• 1 cup basmati rice
• 1 can beans, drained and rinsed (kidney beans, borlotti beans, or mixed beans), about 240 g drained weight
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2-3 cm fresh ginger, grated (or 1 tsp ground ginger)
• 1 tomato, chopped (or 1/2 can chopped tomatoes)
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1 bay leaf (optional)
• 1 small cinnamon stick or 1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional)
• 2-3 tbsp oil or ghee
• 2 1/2 to 3 cups water or vegetable stock, plus a little extra if needed
• Salt
• Optional: 1-2 cups mixed vegetables, such as carrot, peas, or cauliflower
• To serve: plain yogurt, lemon wedges, fresh coriander or mint

Steps

• Rinse the rice until the water runs mostly clear.
• Heat oil or ghee in a pot. Saute the onion for 5-7 minutes until soft. Add garlic and ginger; cook for 30 seconds.
• Add turmeric, cumin, coriander, and the bay leaf/cinnamon if using. Stir for 30 seconds until fragrant.
• Add the tomato and cook for 2-3 minutes until it softens.
• Add rice and any vegetables. Stir to coat in the spices.
• Add 2½ cups water or stock and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer.
• Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring once or twice. Add a splash more liquid if it begins to dry out.
• Stir in the drained beans and cook for another 5-8 minutes, until the rice is tender and the mixture is creamy and thick.
• Taste and adjust salt. Serve with yogurt, lemon, and fresh herbs.

Notes

• This is a practical bean variation rather than the classic lentil version, but it keeps the same comforting, spiced one-pot character.
• Because canned beans are already cooked, add them near the end so they stay intact.
• For extra depth, add 2-3 crushed cardamom pods and 2 cloves with the spices