Brown Basmati Rice w/ Lentils

I usually stick to white basmati rice, mostly because I'm just used to it, but when they were out of white at TJs this week I decided to be adventurous and grab a bag of brown basmati.

A lot of people don't like brown rice because it has a lot more texture than white, but what they may not realize is that in order to turn rice white, it is stripped of many of its nutrients (see more about that here).

Here is a simple and delicious recipe using brown basmati--the texture is nicely balanced by the sauted onions and lentils.

Brown Basmati Rice w/ Lentils

Ingredients:

2 tsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups brown basmati rice, rinsed
1/2 cup lentils, picked over and rinsed
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 cups soup stock
2 1/4 cups water

Directions:

1. Heat oil in medium stock pot and saute onion until soft and translucent, 5-6 minutes.
2. Add remaining ingredients, stir just to combine and bring to a boil.
3. Reduce to a low flame and simmer 35-40 minutes until liquid is absorbed and rice and lentils are tender.

The cost:
onion: .45
rice: 1.99
lentils: .25
stock: 1.99

Grand total: $4.68; serves 6-8 as a side for fish/chicken and steamed veggies