Category:
Meals

Timbale of Lentils and Rice

Ingredients:

cooked lentils
cooked rice
sesame seeds
kalonji
coriander seeds
balsamic vinegar
sea salt
quince paste
shallots

Mix two cups of cooled cooked lentils* and their attendant (and hopefully rather scanty) cooking liquor with two cups of cold cooked rice, which had been cooked at least one day previous.
Mix together two tablespoons of sesame seeds and one half teaspoon of coriander seeds. Grind these together in your spice mill and add to the mixture, along with a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, a half teaspoon of sea salt, and finally two tablespoons of quince paste.*
Mix all of these together well, and turn into an oiled timbale or casserole.
Peel and slice across into thin rounds a handful of shallots. Arrange these on top of the preparation in a casual pattern. Or just strew them about. Sprinkle a half teaspoon of kalonji* (Nigella or "onion seed,") over the shallots.
Bake in a medium oven until the shallots are lightly browned. Let stand for five minutes before serving.

Notes:

*Small green lentils are ideal for this dish. See our Basic Notes for prep hints.
* You can find quince paste, or mermelada do coing, in Portugese stores. A plausible substitute would be three tablespoons of apple sauce, or two of apple butter.
*Nigella seed come from India. They don't have much genetic affinity to the onion family, but their aroma is reminiscent of allium, and delightful seeping out of the oven.

Recipe Index

More Meals:

Polenta Bombe |  Black Bean Buns  | Cool Dumplings in Hot Sauce | One Pot Hot | Black Bean Pie |  Straight from the Pot | Homely Ravioli  | Lima Bean Stew  | Cabbage Rolls with Kasha and Lentils | Doublable Beans| Panisse Euclid |