Mujaddara

, , , , 0

A delicious rice and lentil dish common in the Levantine food region. This dish is made with either green or brown lentils, which are mixed with rice during cooking. The rice is often either whole-grain rice, basmati, or long-grain rice. The timing of adding the rice to the dish also varies accordingly. The rice variety that takes the longest to cook is added to the dish the earliest.
Variants of this dish vary by region. The dish posted here originated in the Abbasid Caliphate in Iraq and may date back to 13th-century cookbooks. This dish is often served with meat or vegetables, along with yogurt.

Preparation time: About 45 minutes to 1 hour
Level: Easy
Quantity: Serves 4

Ingredients:
400 ml cup of green or brown lentils
400 ml cup of basmati rice
2 large onions, finely chopped
1.5 tsp ground cumin
0.5 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground allspice
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
3 400 ml cups of water
50 ml olive oil for frying the onions
Lemon zest and juice, and Greek yogurt for serving.

2 large onions, quartered and thinly sliced
Another 2-3 tbsp of oil for frying the onions
Fresh chopped coriander for serving

Preparation:

  1. Peel the onion and chop it finely. Fry the onion in olive oil until light brown.
  2. Pour the lentils into a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Once the onions are fried, add them to the lentils.
  3. Add water and bring to a boil. Cook for about 5 minutes, then add the basmati rice. If you are using a different type of rice, add it to the lentils earlier, or even add the lentils later.
  4. Season with cumin, cinnamon, allspice, black pepper, and sea salt.
  5. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the water is absorbed.
  6. Meanwhile, prepare the crispy onions to serve. This will take about 30 minutes. Peel the shallots, cut into quarters and slice thinly. Fry in a couple of tablespoons of cooking oil until the onions are dark brown and crispy. Do not let them burn.
  7. When the lentils and rice are soft, transfer the dish to a serving plate and top with the crispy onions. Garnish with chopped coriander. If desired, you can use dried rose buds for decoration.
    Serve the dish with Greek yogurt.
    Ready!!