mujadara, a middle-eastern rice and lentils dish

Good food is very often, even most often, simple food. –Anthony Bourdain

Mujadara is a traditional Middle-Eastern rice and lentils dish, often made with green or brown lentils. I prefer using Puy lentils, shown below.

Mujadara (adapted from here)

(serves 6-8 as a side dish)

• 130 g Puy lentils
• 200 g basmati rice
• 75 g ghee
• 350 g onion, diced (I use a combination of white and red)
• 2 tsp salt (or to taste)
• 1 tsp cumin powder (optional)
• fresh coriander or mint for garnish
• yogurt for serving

1. Sort and rinse lentils and soak in cold water for about two hours.
2. Drain and rinse lentils. Add to a pot with about 200 g of water and cover. Bring to a boil and then simmer for about 10 minutes, until cooked. You may need to add water along the way if it gets too dry. If water remains when the lentils are cooked , drain and set aside.
3. Rinse the rice and add to a pot with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Uncover and allow to simmer until cooked. Drain and set aside.
4. In a large skillet (I use a heavy-based 12 inch stainless steel frying pan), heat oil. Add onions and cook over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Continue to cook for about another 10-15 minutes over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until browned and slightly caramelized.
5. Mix in salt, cumin, cooked lentils and cooked rice. Cover and cook over low heat for 5 minutes.
6. Garnish with coriander or mint. Serve with yogurt.