These lentil grain bowls with roasted vegetables feature roasted carrots and cauliflower, creamy lentils, brown rice, and a cilantro yogurt sauce. It’s inspired by Moroccan flavors and makes great leftovers for easy lunches during the week!
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Moroccan-inspired lentil grain bowl with roasted vegetables like carrots and cauliflower, brown rice, cilantro yogurt sauce, and sliced almonds. “It looks Indian but it doesn’t taste Indian. In a good way though” were my roommate’s words to describe it. I made more than enough lentils and brown rice, which were good for lunch leftovers. It’s Moroccan-inspired and a little Mediterranean-inspired because I used a combo of cumin, cinnamon, and paprika for the veggies and more cumin + tahini in the lentils!
Moroccan cuisine typically uses warm spices cumin, cloves, cinnamon, paprika, turmeric, and many more. My version is very simplified, which is why I wouldn’t really call it Moroccan food, but it was inspired by what I’ve read about Moroccan cuisine. If you’re looking for legit Moroccan food though, check out this link to learn more about the flavors of the cuisine.
These lentil grain bowls with roasted vegetables feature roasted carrots and cauliflower, lentils, brown rice, and cilantro yogurt sauce.
How to make these lentil grain bowls with roasted vegetables
1. Choose a grain. Any type of rice, quinoa, millet, farro, etc. would work well for these bowls. I used brown rice.
2. Pick some veggies. Cauliflower and carrot seemed like a solid combo to me.
3. Cook your lentils on the stove. I used brown lentils (green lentils cook similarly), so I soaked them for 45 minutes-1 hour before cooking them in about 30 minutes on the stove. You don’t need to do much here, since it cooks while the pot is covered. Finish them off with tamari and tahini! I got this tip from Nisha Vora’s recipe, which you can find here.
4. Mix the sauce. It’s cilantro, plant-based yogurt, cumin, garlic, and lemon juice. It’s refreshing!
Lentil Grain Bowls with Roasted Vegetables
Ingredients
Lentils (serves 6)
- 1.5 cups whole masoor lentils (brown lentils)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 cups water
- 1 tbsp tahini
- 1.5 tbsp tamari
- salt to taste
Roasted Carrots and Cauliflower
- 1 head of cauliflower
- 6 medium carrots
- ½ tsp cumin
- ½ tsp paprika
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- red chili flakes to your liking
- ½ tsp salt
- 1.5 tbsp olive oil
Cilantro Yogurt Sauce
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- ½ cup plant-based yogurt
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- 2 tbsp water
- salt to taste
For serving
- brown rice
- kale
- sliced almonds
Instructions
- Soak the lentils in cold water for 45 minutes to 1 hour. The longer you soak, the shorter the cooking time. This recipe is based on soaking for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 400 F. Cut the cauliflower and carrots. Spread them on two baking sheets, based on how much space is on your baking sheet.
- Brush the vegetables with olive oil and sprinkle with the spices and salt. Roast the cauliflower for 18-20 minutes. The carrots may also be done at that time, or perhaps 5 minutes longer.
- For the lentils, heat a saucepan over medium heat. Add olive oil, followed by cumin seeds and garlic. Cook for about 2 minutes.
- Drain the lentils and add them to the saucepan, along with 3 cups of water. Bring to medium-high heat and cover.
- Check occasionally for the first few minutes until it starts to simmer. Add salt. Then lower heat to medium, cover, and cook for 25-30 minutes. Once creamy and well-cooked, add 1 tbsp tahini and 1.5 tbsp tamari.
- For the dressing, simply process all the ingredients in a small food processor. Add water until it's at a nice texture.
For more fun grain bowls, check out…
Jackfruit Burrito Bowls with Pineapple Salsa
