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Basmati rice with red lentils and sautéed veggies

An everyday dish for 2, ready in 35 minutes, around $1.09 a serving. People actually plan it with Popotam, and it's in season in October.

35mintotal
≈ $1.09a serving
538kcalper serving
23gof protein
VegetarianIn season in OctoberFreezes well
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Basmati rice with red lentils and sautéed veggies, a serving idea
AI-generated image · Serving idea
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Step-by-step recipe

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  1. Prep the veggies

    Peel the carrots and dice them small. Dice the zucchini the same size.

  2. Cook the basmati rice

    Rinse the 140 g of rice, then put it in a saucepan with 280 ml of salted water and bring to a boil. Turn the heat way down, cover and cook 10 min.

  3. Cook the red lentils

    Meanwhile, put the 110 g of red lentils in the 2nd saucepan with 3 times their volume of unsalted water. Bring to a simmer and cook 12 min over medium heat, then drain.

    Tip · Red lentils fall apart fast, so keep an eye on them from 10 min on and drain them as soon as they're tender but still whole.

  4. Let the rice rest

    Turn off the heat under the rice and leave it covered, no lifting the lid, for 10 min. Then fluff it with a fork.

    Tip · Don't lift the lid while it rests, the steam finishes cooking the rice and keeps it fluffy.

  5. Sauté the veggies

    Heat the olive oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Add the carrots and cook 5 min, stirring, then add the zucchini and cumin, season with salt and pepper and cook another 5 min.

  6. Toss and serve

    Add the fluffed rice and drained lentils to the skillet with the veggies. Stir and heat 2 min, then adjust the salt and pepper.

And there you go, it's readyCheck off every step to celebrate.

The questions you're asking

short answers, numbers you can check

How many calories in a serving?

One serving has about 538 kcal. 65% comes from carbs, 17% from protein and 14% from fat.

87 gCarbs
23 gProtein
8 gFat
Per serving (the dish for 2, divided by 2)
Energy538 kcal
Protein22.6 g
Carbs87.1 g
of which sugars7.7 g
Fat8.1 g
of which saturated fat1.4 g
Fiber13.4 g
Salt0.2 g

Worked out ingredient by ingredient with the ANSES Ciqual 2025 table, never written by an AI. It's an estimate: veggie sizes and brands make the numbers vary.

How much does it cost?

About $1.09 a serving, adding up the average prices of the ingredients you need to buy.

≈ $2.17for 2 people
≈ $1.09a serving

Pantry salt, oil and spices aren't counted. Your store and your brands will move the total, but the ballpark is right.

How long does it keep?

2 days in the fridge, in a closed container, once cooled within two hours. After that, into the freezer it goes.

2 daysin the fridge
Yesin the freezer, thaw it in the fridge the day before

Times Popotam uses for meal prep, based on ANSES guidance, rounded down. The details: how long cooked dishes keep.

and the rest of the week?

Popotam plans your whole week

Lunch and dinner, with dishes like this one, based on your tastes, your time and your budget. The grocery list is sorted by aisle. Free, no account.

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