Middle Eastern Rice Pilaf With Lentils, Currants, And Dates
This aromatic middle eastern rice pilaf is made with spiced basmati rice, lentils, currants, and dates to create a delectable dish that is sure to please.
This middle eastern rice pilaf can very well take a much longer time to make than what my recipe calls for, but, in true honestly momming fashion, I’m going to cut down on steps and order them in a way to get this dish out in half the time, but still make it impressively delicious.
This rice pilaf has been a hit for whoever tastes it in my household, be it family or guests. The rice is cooked to light and fluffy perfection and the currants and dates really elevate this pilaf to make it something special.
This post is about how to make a delicious middle eastern rice pilaf.
Middle Eastern Rice Pilaf with Lentils, Currants, and Dates
What do I need to make this basmati rice pilaf?
You will need:
- Basmati Rice: Use long-grain white basmati rice, preferably sourced from India, Pakistan, or Afghanistan as the quality of the product is often better.
- Brown Lentils: Brown lentils retain their shape when boiled as is necessary for this dish.
- Currants: Currants are tiny raisins. If you can’t find currants, just use small black raisins.
- Dates: I prefer using Medjool dates, but any dates will do.
- Cumin: This is a necessary spice for the rice.
- Cinnamon: This spice brings the whole dish together and compliments the currants and dates.
How do I make this recipe?
Follow these steps to ensure this dish is prepared in the shortest amount of time possible.
First, put the currants or raisins in a bowl and rinse and drain them. Then add water to the bowl and let them soak for 30 minutes. Set it aside.
Next, rinse the brown lentils and put them in a medium-sized saucepan. Fill it with water (about 2 inches above the lentils) and add a generous amount of salt to the water.
Set it on high heat and bring it to a boil. Once it boils, turn the heat to medium and let it boil until the lentils are fully cooked through. They are fully cooked once the center of the lentil is no longer hard when pressed together with your fingers. This should take about 30-40 minutes.
As the lentils are cooking, start the rice. Rinse the rice and drain a few times (or use a fine-meshed colander to rinse the rice).
Put the rice in a medium-sized saucepan and add the water, salt, black pepper, cumin, and oil. Bring it to a boil with the lid off on medium-high heat. Once it starts to boil, bring the heat down to a low simmer and put the lid on. Keep the lid on during the cooking process.
Let the rice cook until all of the water is absorbed (about 25 minutes). Turn the heat off, keep the lid on, and allow the rice to steam for 10 more minutes before you fluff the rice. For the full instructions, visit Fluffy and Simple Basmati Rice Recipe | The Only Recipe You Need.
While the rice is cooking, make the currants mixture.
- Start by cooking the chopped onion on medium/medium-low heat until it’s translucent.
- Drain the currants (raisins) and add it to the pan. Saute, stirring frequently, until the currants plump up (about 2 minutes).
- Add the sliced dates and cinnamon and mix.
- Add the cooked and drained lentils.
- Stir to combine. If the rice is ready, go to step six. If the rice is not ready yet, turn off the heat and put the lid on this mixture to keep it warm.
- Add in the cooked and fluffed rice to the mixture and mix it all together.
Voila! Delicious middle eastern rice pilaf in under 45 minutes! This pilaf tastes amazing with my Easiest Baked Lemon Chicken Recipe. The contrast of flavors just works, trust me!
Consider serving this pilaf with some of our other favorites too like:
- Middle Eastern Cucumber Salad
- Tzatziki Yogurt Sauce
- Tasty and Easy Chicken Stew Recipe
- Savory Beef and Peppers Dutch Oven Stew Recipe
Shortcuts and Time-Savers
Most of the shortcuts and time-savers are laid out in the steps. That’s because, as one thing is boiling and cooking, I suggest starting the next task. This consolidates the amount of time spent in the kitchen.
Additionally, I separated the tasks to be able to cook them simultaneously. For example, I intentionally cook the rice separately without the mixture so that I don’t have to wait for the mixture to be prepared before starting the rice.
Other than these, I would suggest measuring your ingredients and setting them all out before starting to cook to save a few minutes. You can also consider buying pre-chopped onions or pre-cooked lentils to save a little more time.
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This post was about how to make a simple and delicious middle eastern rice pilaf.
Middle Eastern Rice Pilaf With Lentils, Currants and Dates
Ingredients
For the Rice
- 1 ½ cups long-grain basmati rice
- 2 ½ cups water
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
For the Mixture
- ½ cup brown lentils
- 1 small onion yellow or red
- ¾ cup currants or small raisins
- ½ cup dates sliced
- ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Put the currants or raisins in a bowl and rinse and drain them. Then add water to the bowl and let them soak for 30 minutes. Set it aside.
- Next, rinse the brown lentils and put them in a medium-sized saucepan. Fill it with water (about 2 inches above the lentils) and add a generous amount of salt to the water. Set it on high heat and bring it to a boil. Once it boils, turn the heat to medium and let it boil until the lentils are fully cooked through, about 30-40 minutes.They are fully cooked once the center of the lentil is no longer hard.
- As the lentils are cooking, start the rice. Rinse the rice and drain a few times (or use a fine-meshed colander to rinse the rice). Put the rice in a medium-sized saucepan and add the water, salt, black pepper, cumin, oil and stir. Bring it to a boil with the lid off on medium-high heat. Once it starts to boil, bring the heat down to a low simmer and put the lid on. Let the rice cook until all of the water is absorbed (about 25 minutes). Turn the heat off, keep the lid on, and allow the rice to steam for 10 more minutes before you fluff the rice. For more detailed instructions, visit Fluffy and Simple Basmati Rice Recipe | The Only Recipe You Need.
- While the rice is cooking, make the currants mixture. Start by cooking the chopped onion on medium/medium-low heat until it's translucent, about 5 minutes.Drain the currants (raisins) and add it to the pan. Saute, stirring frequently, until the currants plump up, about 2 minutes.
- Add the sliced dates and cinnamon to the mixture and stir.Add the cooked and drained lentils. Stir to combine, then turn off the heat.Add in the cooked and fluffed rice to the mixture and mix it all together.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Shortcuts and Time-Savers
- Most of the shortcuts and time-savers are laid out in the steps. That's because, as one thing is boiling and cooking, I suggest starting the next task. This consolidates the amount of time spent in the kitchen.
- Additionally, I separate the tasks to be able to cook them simultaneously. For example, I intentionally cook the rice separately without the mixture so that I don't have to wait for the mixture to be prepared and ready before starting the rice
- To save a few minutes, you can measure your ingredients and set them all out before starting to cook
- You can also consider buying pre-chopped onions or pre-cooked lentils to save a little more time.