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Healthy and delicious, this recipe for Ginger Fried Lentils is a deconstructed twist on an Asian classic, fried rice. A bed of fried black beluga lentils is topped with a sunny side up egg, sesame oil, soy sauce and a sprinkling of crispy garlic and ginger. Each component is prepared separately and then combined at the end to create a dish that is well balanced, hearty and packed with bold flavor. The crispy garlic and ginger are actually my favorite part of this dish. I would recommend making extra. The flavor is utterly addicting. Get the recipe after the jump.
Ginger Fried Lentils
Ingredients
- ¼ cup peanut oil (or vegetable oil)
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- Kosher salt
- 1 cup thinly sliced leeks, white and pale green parts only, thoroughly rinsed and dried*
- 2 cups cooked black beluga lentils**
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
Instructions
- Warm half of the peanut oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add garlic and ginger and cook, stirring occasionally, until crispy and brown (not black!). Using a slotted spoon, transfer the crispy bits to a paper towel lined plate and lightly season with kosher salt.
- Reduce head under the frying pan to medium-low and add 1 tablespoon of peanut oil and sliced leeks. Cook the leeks, stirring occasionally, until soft but not browned (8 – 10 minutes). Season with a small pinch of salt.
- Raise heat to medium and add lentils. Cook, stirring frequently, until heated through. Season to taste with salt.
- In a smaller, nonstick frying pan, fry eggs in remaining oil, sunny side up.
- To serve, divide lentils between two dishes. Drizzle with ½ teaspoon sesame oil and 1 teaspoon of soy sauce. Top each portion with a fried and a sprinkle crispy garlic and ginger.
Notes
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I’m Brandon: food explorer, recipe curator, cocktail shaker, dessert lover. Kitchen Konfidence is how I document my time spent in my favorite space, the kitchen. Did you make a recipe? Tag @brandiego on Instagram so I can see the how it went!
Lisa~Korean American Mommy says
My kind of meal! Love lentils and eggs. These lentils look like caviar lentils. Beautiful!
Lisa~Korean American Mommy says
They are beluga lentils. I’ve been looking for these, thanks I;ll have to stop by TJ.
Boulder Locavore says
Ok, did not even read the full recipe; just wrote down all the ingredients and am leaving for the store now. Between your starting suggestion and the photos…..no more needs to be said (will read the recipe when I make it though!). What a delicious cool weather dish. Sounds delicious! Thank you!
riceandwheat says
So I admit that I’ll love anything with an egg on top, but I honestly find the use of lentils here super intriguing and a nice alternative to rice! I’m excited to finally find an excuse to pick up some beluga lentils to try now – thanks!
Dave Oien says
Just a note on Black Beluga Lentils. This is a registered trademark of Timeless Seeds, Inc., a small, organic farmer owned company in Montana which introduced the Black Beluga Lentil to the food industry in 1994. Trader Joe’s does NOT have the authorization to use this trademark. If you want to support farmers and “small food” please seed out certified organic Black Belugas under the Timeless Natural Food label. http://www.timelessfood.com
Brandon @ Kitchen Konfidence says
Thanks for the info. Its a great product so I’ll definitely check out your website.