Preparation time:
- 15mins
Cooking time:
- 30mins
Specialty:
- Vegan
- Gluten-free
This is our take on a traditional Israeli recipe. We have decided to cook all the ingredients separately and mix them at the end and replaced the chickpeas with red lentils. We added black rice as a fusion element and also to have a full vegan meal. We really enjoyed this recipe!
Ingredients (2 Servings):
- 1 Cup of Red Lentils
- 1 Cup of Black Rice
- 1 Chinese Eggplant
- 16 Cherry Tomatoes
- A Clove of Garlic
- Extra-virgin Olive Oil
- Cumin Seeds
- Fresh Mint
- Pistachios
- Date Syrup
- Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- Sea Salt
Instructions:
- Simmer a clove of garlic in a non-stick pan with extra-virgin olive oil until it becomes golden.
- Cut the cherry tomatoes into halves and add them to the pan. Cook at medium heat with the lid until the cherry tomatoes become completely soft and mashed.
- Cut the eggplant into half lengthwise from top to bottom.
- Sprinkle some sea salt on the top to remove the excess water. Let it rest for 5mins.
- Dry the surface of the eggplant with a paper towel and stir the eggplant in a pan with extra-virgin olive oil for 10mins. Cover with a lid and cook at medium heat on both sides.
- Pre-heat the oven at 400°F.
- Cover an oven tray with the parchment paper. Put the 2 halves of the eggplant on an oven tray with the white side facing upwards and drizzle some date syrup on the white surfaces. Add a pinch of salt.
- Cook the eggplant in the oven for 20-25 mins at 400°F. Make sure the eggplant is caramelized.
- Steam 1 cup of black rice with 1 cup of water and let it rest for 5-10mins once cooked.
- Cook in a saucepan 1 cup of red lentils with 3 cups of water for 10-15mins. Add cumin seeds and a pinch of salt. Once the lentils are completely cook, add them to the pan with the cherry tomatoes and mix all together. Season with sea salt and black pepper.
- Plate the lentils with some black rice on the bottom, add the caramelized eggplants and drizzle some extra-virgin olive oil. Add some fresh mint and coarsely chopped pistachios.