How to make Greek lentil rice pilaf

[d_kakavouli]

Rice pilaf is such a great dish but you don't really see it in many Greek restaurants. Its one of my favorite foods that I ate growing up Here is the recipe

• 2/3 cup dried lentils, soaked in cold water for 2 hours
• 1/3 cup Greek olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 large carrots, chopped
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 bay leaves
• 3/4 cup uncooked long grain rice
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon Greek honey
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon dried Greek oregano
• 2 tablespoons fresh, chopped parsley

Strain the lentils and add them to a medium saucepan. Fill the pan with water so that the lentils are covered and bring to a boil over medium-high heat with the lid on the pan. Turn off the heat and let the lentils stand for about ten minutes. Strain them again and set them aside. Pour the olive oil into a deep skillet. Set the heat to medium and let it warm for about a minute. Add the onions and saute until they just begin to get soft. This should take about 2-3 minutes. Add the carrots and saute for anothr 2-3 minutes.

Stir in the coriander, allspice, cinnamon, and bay leaves. Stir in the rice and lentils. Cook the mixture together for about a minute. Stir in the broth, salt, pepper, honey, vinegar, and oregano. Cover the skillet and cook until the mixture comes to a boil. Reduce to a simmer on low heat and cook until all the water absorbs. Stir in the parsley just before serving.

This is what the pilafi will end up looking like

 

[k_tsoukalas]

This is very close to the way my family makes it. I love the combination of the cinnamon with the tomato sauce. This is an excellent recipe, thanks for sharing it.