This recipe for red lentils and rice came from a book called Easy Indian in Minutes that I've had for quite a number of years now.
There's loads of lovely looking dishes in it - starters, mains, sides and desserts. I've made a couple over the years and this is the first time I've made this rice dish.
David and I both love dishes with lentils in them, and rice is must have side dish for us with Indian food, so I decided to give this one a try. Lentils are a great source of low-fat protein and make an economical but tasty side dish.
This one didn't disappoint - the lentils provide that extra 'comfort' feeling and the end result had a lovely subtle spice flavour to it.
Tip
- This red lentils and rice recipe can easily be adapted if you’re cooking for less or more people.
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How to make this Red Lentils and Rice
Ingredients
- 500g basmati rice
- 250g dried red lentils
- 3 tbsp oil
- 2 tbsp tomato puree
- 1l water
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 0.5 tsp ground turmeric
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
Instructions
- Wash the rice and soak it in salted water for at least an hour. Rinse the lentils. Drain both the rice and lentils separately.
- Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a large saucepan or casserole over a high heat, stir in the tomato puree and add a litre of water. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then add the turmeric, stir well and when it comes to the boil, add in the lentils. Cook with the lid on, over the lowest heat, for 10 minutes then add the rice and cook for a further 10 minutes with the lid on again, until all the water has been absorbed. Add more boiling water, if necessary.
- Near the end of the lentils and rice cooking time, heat the remaining tbsp of oil over a high heat in a frying pan, add the garlic and fry until it’s barely coloured (30 to 45 seconds). Stir in the cumin and when the smell of the garlic and spice rises, pour the garlic mixture over the rice and lentils and mix in with a fork. Serve and enjoy!
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Red Lentils and Rice
Equipment
Ingredients
- 500 g (2 ¾ cups) basmati rice
- 250 g (1 ½ cups) dried red lentils
- 3 tbsp oil
- 2 tbsp tomato puree
- 1 l (4 ⅓ cups) water
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 0.5 tsp ground turmeric
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
Instructions
- Wash the rice and soak it in salted water for at least an hour. Rinse the lentils. Drain both the rice and lentils separately.
- Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a large saucepan or casserole over a high heat, stir in the tomato puree and add a litre of water. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then add the turmeric, stir well and when it comes to the boil, add in the lentils. Cook with the lid on, over the lowest heat, for 10 minutes then add the rice and cook for a further 10 minutes with the lid on again, until all the water has been absorbed. Add more boiling water, if necessary.
- Near the end of the lentils and rice cooking time, heat the remaining tbsp of oil over a high heat in a frying pan, add the garlic and fry until it’s barely coloured (30 to 45 seconds). Stir in the cumin and when the smell of the garlic and spice rises, pour the garlic mixture over the rice and lentils and mix in with a fork. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- This red lentils and rice recipe can easily be adapted if you’re cooking for less or more people.
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Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Becky says
I just made this for lunch, and the flavour is really nice. I do wonder if the directions for when the lentils and rice get added were switched. I put the lentils in before the rice as directed and the lentils cooked away to nothing. Next time I make it I will be cooking the rice first then adding the lentils.
Deborah says
Thanks for your comment and rating Becky. I'm going to update the ingredient list to stipulate dried red lentils as I haven't been specific with the type of lentils. Dried lentils tend to take at least 20 minutes to cook, with basmati rice only needing around 10 minutes. Hopefully this will work for you better when you make it again.
Becky says
Thanks for your reply! I did use dried split red lentils when making it, are you using whole red lentils?
Deborah says
No problem! It's dried split red lentils I use too. Not sure what to suggest as I fear if you cook the rice for longer (20 minutes), it will end up as mush instead!! Perhaps it's the brand of lentils that don't need as long as 20 minutes, so maybe try 15 for the lentils and 10 for the rice?
Anonymous says
What’s the purpose of soaking the rice for an hour and can this be skipped?
Deborah says
Hi, thanks for your question. These are the instructions that were given in the book I've taken the recipe from. Soaking in salted water helps the grain to expand well while cooking. Depending on the brand of rice, soaking between 30 to 60 minutes will be sufficient. You can certainly try skipping this step - I hope it turns out well.