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Mound of rice and lentils with chicken breast in a bowl.
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Moro de Lentejas Recipe

Moro de Lentejas is a creamy fusion of perfectly cooked rice and lentils mixed with not one, but two kinds of cheese! This one-pot dish combines sautéed aromatics, tender lentils, and fluffy rice with melted cheese and cream - a cherished recipe that showcases the comforting, rich flavors of Guayaquil, Ecuador.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Ecuadorian
Keyword: moro de lentejas, rice and lentils
Servings: 4
Calories: 465kcal

Ingredients

For the Lentils

  • 1 teaspoon oil with a dash of achiote powder if you have it
  • 1 white onion diced, or ½ onion if it's large
  • ½ green bell pepper diced
  • 3 cloves of garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ cup lentils dried
  • 1 ½ cups water
  • a few sprigs of fresh cilantro or about ½ teaspoon of dried cilantro
  • ½ teaspoon salt

For the Rice

  • 1 cup long grain white rice
  • 2 cups water
  • ½ tsp salt

For the Moro de Lentejas

  • salt & pepper to taste
  • 1 cup queso fresco shredded
  • ½ cup mozzarella cheese shredded
  • ¼ cup heavy cream

Instructions

  • First, start the lentils. In a sauce pan, heat 1 teaspoon of oil over medium heat. Add in the white onion, green bell pepper, and garlic. Sauté for a few minutes until softened. Remove ½ of the mixture and reserve for later in a small bowl.
  • Rinse the dried lentils and add them to the sauce pan. Add 1 ½ cups of water, a few sprigs of cilantro about about ½ teaspoon of salt. Bring the water to a boil, and then leave the heat on medium and cover the saucepan with a lid. Cook the lentils until tender, about 30 minutes, but this will depend on the kind of lentils you use and how long they have been in the pantry. Remove the cilantro sprigs.
  • Cook the rice according to package instructions. Be sure to rinse the rice first, so that it isn't too starchy and sticky once you mix everything together.
  • Once the lentils and rice are almost ready, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add in the reserved onion/pepper/garlic mixture from the first step.
  • Then, add in the cooked lentils, cooked rice, shredded queso fresco, shredded mozzarella cheese and heavy cream. Stir everything together well.
  • Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro and serve with your choice of protein like chicken or carne asada. Enjoy!

Notes

This recipe is inspired by Confieso que Cocino.