Saffron Rice Curried Lentil Bowl -- GF, DF, V

adapted from Dean and Ayesha Sherzai

This meal is a nutrient-dense powerhouse. It takes a little extra effort on the front end, but once you have all your ingredients together, you can throw together for a lunch that will carry you all the way through to dinner, or serve as a lighter dinner. Fully prepping all the ingredients in advance (mise en place) goes a long way for this type of recipe, and doubling this for leftovers is never a bad plan (you will have extra cauliflower/onion already). Aside from being delicious, this recipe is packed with the flavors of cumin, curry, garlic and saffron, and is so good for you too.

Serves 3

For the Dressing:

• ¼ cup tahini
• Juice and zest of 1 large lime (or to taste)
• ⅛ tsp each of curry powder, ground cumin, and garlic powder
• Salt and pepper to taste

For the Bowl:

• Pinch of saffron
• 1 tsp hot water
• 1 C uncooked brown basmati rice
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cardamom pods
• 1 ½ tsp curry paste*
• 1 C uncooked lentils
• 2 packed C baby spinach
• 1 head cauliflower, broken or cut into pieces
• Olive oil
• ½ C diced tomatoes
• ½ C diced cucumbers
• 1 purple onion, sliced
• ¼ C diced fresh (or canned) pineapple
• 2 Tbs fresh cilantro, chopped
• Pistachios, shelled 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

Add saffron to a small bowl and crush with the back of a spoon, then mix with 1 tsp of hot water. Add the saffron, bay leaf, cardamom pods and rice to a pot and cook according to package instructions. Fluff with a fork when done.

In a separate pot, cook lentils according to package instructions. When they are done, drain completely and then add curry paste.

Next, toss cauliflower and onion together with olive oil, salt and pepper to coat. Spread out on a large sheet pan and put in the oven to roast until cauliflower starts to brown, 20-30 minutes.

For the dressing, use a blender to whisk together tahini, lime zest and juice, and spices. Gradually add enough cold water to achieve a dressing consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste and refrigerate until needed.

To assemble the bowls, divide the rice between 3 bowls. Layer baby spinach over rice. Spoon lentils in the center and arrange roasted cauliflower and onion, tomatoes, cucumber, and pineapple around the edges. Scatter cilantro and pistachios on top and serve with dressing on the side.

*Substitute curry paste with 1 ½ tsp curry powder mixed with 1 Tbs water.​