Oppan Indian Style!

   Well, it should be Casserole Indian Style, but since "Gangnam style" is so popular recently, I couldn't resist. Can you believe that I actually learned the dance they are doing in a video? I know, I know... I surprised myself as well... but it's actually a lot of fun and a great workout, so what the heck! But, lets go back to food! I kind of feel guilty calling this dish "Indian" because, not only there is beef in it, but also none of my Indian friends ever heard of it. I can't really blame them since I made this whole dish up, used lots of lentils and Indian spices...and called it a Casserole Indian Style! Sorry guys, I know I'm bad... but to me it tastes so Indian, I have to call it that! Here is the recipe:

Rice layer:

*  2 cups red lentils
*  2 cups white rice
*  1 medium tomato, chopped
*  1 large onion, chopped
*  2 garlic clove, minced
*  1 cup fresh chopped cilantro
*  2 tsp turmeric
*  1 tsp curry powder
*  salt
*  1 tsp chili powder 

Meat layer:

*  2 lbs lean ground beef
*  1 cup mixed frozen vegetables
*  1 tbsp curry powder
*  1 tbsp Garam Masala
*  1 tbsp coriander powder
*  1 tbsp ground cumin
*  salt and pepper

*  1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. In a pot combine 2 cups of red lentils, chopped onion, minced garlic, tomato, turmeric powder, chilli powder, salt, pepper and 2 cups of water. Bring to boil, reduce the heat and simmer for about 10-15 minutes, until lentils are cooked. You can adjust the amount of water, to get a thick and dense mixture without burning it.
2. Cook 2 cups of rice, mix it with lentils, add fresh cilantro and set aside.
3. In a non stick skillet, brown the beef, add vegetables and all the spices and cook for 5-6 minutes.
4. To assemble the casserole, grease  a large baking dish, spread half of the rice/lentil mixture on the bottom, top it with the meat layer, and cover with remaining rice and lentils. Top the casserole with a mozzarella cheese and bake for 20 minutes at 350F.
5. Let the casserole cool and firm up for at least 15 minutes before cutting into it.

   Wow, the recipe makes a huge batch of casserole! We might be eating it for a while, but it's actually really good so I'm not complaining.  It has some kick from the spices and chili powder, just a perfect amount to keep it "interesting", but not too hot! 

Enjoy,

Magda