Lentil Biryani Recipe and Review of The Great Vegan Bean Book

I definitely need to eat more legumes, and Kathy Hester’s The Great Vegan Bean Book is a perfect guide. The book focuses on beans in many forms and includes plant-based recipes with options for gluten-free, nut-free, soy-free, or oil-free diets.

You’ll find recipes that use beans for breakfast, main dishes, and even desserts (think chickpea cookies and black bean fudgesicles). The collection spans familiar vegan favorites—burgers, dips—and global flavors from Indian and Mexican to Jamaican, Asian, French, and Moroccan. Kathy also explains different bean varieties and which beans can be substituted for each other, including heirloom and specialty beans.

Each recipe includes nutrition information. The book also shows how to make pantry staples like vegan chorizo and chik-un patties, helping keep your food budget in check while avoiding preservatives. It’s allergy-friendly with indexes for gluten- and soy-free recipes and options for oil-free preparations.

I made the Smoky White Bean Dip from the book, adding a roasted red bell pepper and a bit more spice to suit my taste. I packed most of it with fresh vegetables for my husband’s rafting trip and it was a big hit. I also used another batch to make sandwiches the next day with roasted vegetables and greens; I’ll share those in a separate post.

The book has been featured in several blog tours and recipe roundups that showcase recipes like Pecan Chickpea Chocolate Chip Cookies, Butternut Squash Frijoles, Lentil-Quinoa Bolognese, Chickpea Seitan Crispy Patties, and Coconut Pecan Blondies. These examples show how versatile beans can be across different dishes and cuisines.

Super Easy Lentil Biryani

soy-free • gluten-free • oil-free

If you’ve had a long day and still need to make dinner, this recipe is ideal. Add everything to a pan or rice cooker and dinner will be ready with minimal effort.

Ingredients:
1 ½ cups (279 g) brown basmati rice

4 cups (950 ml) water, plus more if needed

½ cup (96 g) lentils

¼ cup (35 g) chopped cashews

¼ cup (35 g) raisins

¼ cup (33 g) minced dried apricots

2 teaspoons minced ginger

½ teaspoon turmeric

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 bay leaves

2 cinnamon sticks or ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 black cardamom pods or ½ teaspoon ground cardamom

4 whole cloves or ¼ teaspoon ground cloves

8 whole black peppercorns or ¼ teaspoon ground pepper

10 coriander seeds or 1 teaspoon ground coriander

½ teaspoon garam masala

¼ teaspoon salt

Yield: 4 servings

Total Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Cooking Time: 40 to 60 minutes
Per 1 ½-cup (340 g) serving: 377 calories; 5.0 g total fat; 0.5 g saturated fat; 10.0 g protein; 76.5 g carbohydrate; 7.5 g dietary fiber; 0 mg cholesterol.

Stove-Top Directions:

Put all ingredients except the salt into a large saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook until the rice and lentils are tender, about 40 to 50 minutes. Check after 30 minutes and add more water if needed.

Add salt and adjust seasonings to taste. Remove bay leaves, cinnamon sticks, and cardamom pods before serving.

Rice Cooker Directions:

When using a rice cooker, use 2 cups (380 g) brown basmati rice (use the measuring cup that came with your cooker) and add water to the cooker’s line 2 plus 1 cup (235 ml) water in a regular measuring cup.

Put all ingredients into the rice cooker and cook on the brown rice setting if available. When the cooker finishes, taste and add salt as needed. Remove bay leaves, cinnamon sticks, and cardamom pods before serving.

Recipe from The Great Vegan Bean Book. Republished with permission.