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A dish of cabbage, broccoli, whole grains, and legumes has been plated in a ceramic bowl that's resting on a light gray colored cloth. There's a small bowl of peanut sauce near the bowl.
4.67 from 12 votes

Brown Rice Lentil Stir Fry with Peanut Butter Sauce

Author - Gena Hamshaw
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Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Yields: 4 servings

Ingredients

For the sauce:

  • 1/4 cup smooth peanut butter (65g)
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons tamari or nama shoyu
  • 2 teaspoons maple or agave syrup
  • 1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
  • 3 tablespoons hot water

For the stir fry:

  • 1 cup short or medium-grain brown rice* (180g)
  • 1/2 cup lentils* (90g; you can use brown, green, French, beluga, or Pardina/Spanish lentils)
  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
  • 2 teaspoons avocado oil
  • 4 green onions, white and green parts, sliced
  • 2 teaspoons finely minced ginger
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
  • 1 cup broccoli florets and/or peeled stalks, cut into bite-sized pieces (100g)
  • 2 cups thinly sliced cabbage (100g)
  • 1 cup shredded carrot (100g)
  • 1 tablespoon tamari or nama shoyu
  • 1 splash unseasoned rice vinegar

Instructions

If cooking rice and lentils from scratch:

  • Place the rice and lentils in a fine-mesh sieve and rinse under cold running water for about 15 seconds. Transfer the rinsed rice and lentils to a medium pot and add the water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then turn the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the rice and lentils are tender, 35 to 45 minutes. Gently pour out any excess water from the mixture.

Prepare the sauce:

  • Whisk together the sauce ingredients. If the sauce is too thick for your liking, add 1 extra tablespoon warm water.

Prepare the stir fry:

  • To prepare the stir fry, heat the oils in a large skillet or wok. Add the green onions. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes, or until the onions are softened. Add the ginger and garlic and cook, continuing to stir, for about 30 seconds. Add the broccoli, cabbage, and carrot. Cook the vegetables, stirring frequently, for 5-8 minutes, or until they’re softened but still a little crispy. Stir in the tamari and the splash of vinegar.
  • Add the cooked rice and lentils to the skillet. Mix everything well and heat for a minute or two, or until the rice and lentils are both hot. Give the mixture a quick taste and add a little vinegar or tamari as desired, keeping in mind that you’ll be adding more flavor to the dish with the peanut sauce.
  • To serve, you can stir in the peanut sauce while the stir fry is still in the skillet, heating through, or you can divide the stir fry onto plates and top each serving with a few spoonfuls of the sauce. Garnish with additional chopped green onion tops, if desired.

Notes

*To streamline the recipe, use pre-cooked brown rice and lentils. You'll need 3 cups/375g of cooked brown rice and 1 1/2 cups/225g cooked lentils, or 1 15-ounce/425g can.