Description
Shocked it’s meatless. Mujadarra brings deep, rich flavor from lentils, rice, and slow caramelized onions alone
Ingredients
Units
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- 3/4 cup long-grain white rice (Basmati works great here)
- 1 cup brown lentils, rinsed well
- 4 medium yellow onions, cut into quarters and sliced
- 1/3 cup good-quality olive oil (don’t skimp here — it really lifts the flavor)
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Start by cooking your rice just like the package says, or use a rice cooker if you have one. When it’s ready, cover it to keep warm.
- Heat olive oil in a heavy pan and toss in the sliced onions.
- Turn the heat down to medium-low and let them cook slowly.
- Stir every few minutes and be patient, this takes about an hour, but those golden, sweet onions are worth every second. Don’t rush, or they’ll burn and taste bitter.
- While the onions are doing their thing on the side, go ahead and rinse your lentils again.
- Put it in a pot with about 4 cups of water (1 quart) and let it simmer gently, uncovered, over low heat.
- Check after about 20 minutes; they should be tender but still hold a little bite.
- Once done, cover and let them sit to soak up any extra liquid.
- Once your onions are ready and a deep brown, scoop half of them out and let them drain on paper towels to get nice and crispy.
- Sprinkle cumin over the onions still in the pan and cook for another minute or two to toast the spice and bring out its aroma.
- Add the lentils to the onions in the pan using a slotted spoon so you leave behind any leftover water.
- Season everything with salt and pepper, then let it all cook together again for a minute or two so the flavors mingle.
- Finally, gently fold the rice into the lentil and onion mix.
- If the rice has cooled down, give it a minute on the heat to warm through.
- Serve your Mujadarra topped with those crispy caramelized onions you set aside earlier.
- This dish is great warm or hot and is perfect for a cozy dinner or meal prep.
Equipment
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Prepared, tried, and tested by Mona
