020 / 75 · Beans and Grains That Go Further
Oven Lentil Rice with Cucumber Yogurt
4 portions of oven lentil rice, each with 1/4 of the cucumber yogurt · Active 25 min · Total 1 hr 10 min
Print recipe · PDFLentils and rice finish together in the oven, but they do not begin together. A short simmer gives the lentils a head start before the measured rice and baking liquid join them. The covered dish then cooks without constant stirring. Cucumber yogurt cools the plate and is part of each serving, not an optional topping. This is a useful dinner when the oven is already on for another compatible dish.
Give the lentils their head start
Use green or brown lentils that keep some shape, and simmer them until partly tender rather than fully soft. Drain before combining with the rice so the baking liquid stays measured. Very old lentils may need a longer preliminary simmer; check a few rather than relying only on the clock. Red lentils break down differently and are not a direct substitute here.
Leave the lid closed, then fluff
A close cover traps the steam needed for the top rice grains. Foil works if the dish has no fitted lid, but crimp it securely around the edges. Rest the bake for ten minutes after it leaves the oven before fluffing. That pause redistributes moisture and makes it easier to divide the lentils evenly through the rice.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup dried green or brown lentils, rinsed (150 g)
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil (15 ml)
- 1 large onion, finely diced (150 g)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin (2 g)
- 1 cup long-grain white rice, rinsed and drained (200 g dry)
- 2 cups boiling water (480 ml), for baking
- 3/4 teaspoon fine salt (4.5 g), divided: 1/2 teaspoon for bake and 1/4 teaspoon for yogurt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper (0.5 g)
- 1 cup plain yogurt (240 g)
- 1/2 large cucumber, coarsely grated and lightly squeezed (150 g prepared)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (15 ml)
Set out
Small saucepan, Small skillet, Sieve, Covered 2-quart/2-liter ovenproof dish or foil cover, Mixing bowl
Allergens
Milk. Check labels and substitutions.
Make it
- Heat oven to 375°F/190°C. Simmer lentils in a saucepan of plenty of water for 12–15 minutes until partly tender but still firm in the center. Drain well.
- While lentils simmer, heat oil in a small skillet and cook onion over medium heat for 7–8 minutes until soft. Stir in cumin for 30 seconds. Put onion, drained lentils, rice, measured boiling water, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper into the ovenproof dish and stir once.
- Cover tightly and bake for 30–35 minutes until rice and lentils are tender and water absorbed. If either is still firm and the dish is dry, add 2 tablespoons boiling water, re-cover and bake another 5–10 minutes. Rest covered for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, mix yogurt, squeezed cucumber, lemon juice and remaining salt. Refrigerate until serving. Fluff the rice gently, divide into four portions and add one quarter of the cucumber yogurt to each.
Let the oven space earn its place
This dish needs a secure cover more than an expensive casserole pot. Check that the dish and any handle are oven-safe. If another meal component shares the oven, leave air space around both dishes and keep this one covered for its own rice-cooking stage.
A useful detail
The total allows the normal 35-minute bake and ten-minute rest. Extra time may be needed for unusually firm lentils or a poorly sealed dish.
Another way
- Use 150 g grated carrot instead of cucumber in the yogurt for a firmer accompaniment.
- Replace cumin with 1 teaspoon mild curry powder from the cupboard, checking its ingredients.
Keep it well
Cool rice promptly in shallow portions and refrigerate as quickly as possible, ideally within 1 hour; keep cucumber yogurt separately refrigerated. Keep both at 40°F/4°C or below. Eat the rice within 24 hours of cooking and the yogurt within 2 days. Reheat only the rice portions needed, once, to 165°F/74°C throughout with a little water; do not cool and reheat them again. Pack chilled portions with two cold sources.