split urad lentil risotto with basil and mushrooms

Serves: 4

Ingredients:
· 1 cup split black lentil (urad) washed thoroughly and soaked for 4 hours
2 tablespoon olive oil
2 small red onions chopped
3 small carrots chopped
3 cloves of garlic chopped
4 cups vegetable stock
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1/4 teaspoon asafoetida
1/4 cup basil roughly chopped
salt to taste
1/4 cup smoked gouda optional
2 cups white button & brown mushrooms cleaned and chopped
3 cloves of garlic chopped
sprinkle of salt and black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil to fry mushrooms
1 1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Method:
heat olive oil in a pan. add in chopped onions and carrots, stir. cook over medium heat until onions have softened and are starting to brown. add in garlic and cook for a minute before adding in urad dal. stir everything to combine and let cook for a few minutes so the lentils brown a little. add in 4 cups of veggie stock - it should be enough to cover the lentils. add in nutritional yeast and asafoetida. bring mixture to a strong simmer and cover.
. set your timer for 40 minutes and stir the lentils every couple of minutes to release starch and make sure the mixture doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. if the water level runs too low, add a little bit in. i added in 1 1/2 more cups over 40 minutes.
while the risotto are cooking, take a frying pan out and start roasting the mushrooms. heat vegetable oil in pan until very hot then add in mushrooms. stir once to coat and don't overcrowd the pan. let mushrooms roast for 4-5 minutes over medium-low heat. check to see if bottom is golden brown - if it is then turn over and do the other side. add in half of the garlic, stir for a minute.
remove from pan and repeat with remaining mushrooms. once all are complete, mix in balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper. mix to combine and set aside.