Lentils roasted and popped in a skillet and tossed in spices then paired with an easy cauliflower-potato mash, are comfort food heaven. You can make the mash smoother or chunkier based on your preference. Serve it with the lentils on top and a good drizzle of olive oil. soy-free, gluten-free, nut-free with oil-free option

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 15 minutes
  • Cook time: 10 minutes
  • Total time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 4
  • Category: Holiday, Side, Side Dish
  • Cuisine: Holiday

Ingredients

For the Potato Cauliflower Mash

  • 1 heaping cup cauliflower florets (or use potatoes)
  • 1 heaping cup peeled and cubed potatoes
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon Italian herbs
  • 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup non-dairy milk

For the Popped Lentils

  • 15 ounce can lentils (drained, or 1 1/2 cups of cooked lentils)
  • 2 teaspoons oil
  • 1 teaspoon Italian herbs
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast (optional)

For Garnish

  • lemon juice
  • chopped parsley or green onion
  • olive oil
  • black pepper

Method

Make the cauliflower-potato mash.

  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, add the cauliflower and potatoes and cook until they are tender. This will take anywhere from 7 to 9 minutes, depending on the size of the potatoes and cauliflower florets.
  2. Drain and transfer to a bowl. Mash with a potato masher. Then add in all the spices, 2 tablespoons of the milk, and all of the oil. Mix in with a fork or the masher. Taste and adjust salt and flavor. Adjust the consistency by mashing more or Add more of the non-dairy milk if you want a smoother and thinner mash. Then, transfer to your serving dish or plates.

Make the popped lentils while the potatoes and cauliflower cook.

  1. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon of the oil. Once the oil is hot, add the well-drained lentils and cook until the lentils start to pop and crisp up a little bit. This will take anywhere from 7 to 10 minutes. Keep stirring the lentils and flipping them with a spatula occasionally.
  2. Once the lentils have started popping, add the other teaspoon of oil and all of the spices and herbs. Toss well so that the spices stick to the lentils and switch off the heat. Serve the lentils over the cauliflower potato mash.
  3. Garnish with parsley or green onion, a drizzle of olive oil, lemon juice and black pepper and serve. You can also serve these lentils over pasta or a salad.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.