Mujadara

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Mujadara

Yield 2-4

Author Arlene Jacobs

Prep time

10 Min

Cook time

35 Min

Total time

45 Min

A delicious, simple dish made out of lentils, rice and fried shallots/leeksI remember the first time I ever tried Mujadara a few years ago. I was on a girls weekend trip away and my friends and I stopped at a little Mediterranean restaurant along the way to our hotel. I ordered it from the vegetarian menu not really knowing what to expect. This dish is commonly prepared in eaten in countries such as Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq and is very basic, consisting of lentils, rice and fried and caramelized shallots or leeks sprinkled on top. Honestly, I wondered how on earth I had gone 40 years without even knowing what this was. It was a perfect combination of savory and sweet, belly-filling but healthy and most importantly so flavorful and exquisite deliciousness.Today, Chef Arlene has created a special version of Mujadara that I hope you all love as much as I do.

Ingredients

• 1 cup brown or green lentils
• 1 tbsp. ground cumin
• 1 tbsp. cinnamon
• 2 tsps. ground coriander
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 2 cups long grain brown rice (cooked per pkg. directions to al dente), not too soft.
• Salt & pepper, to taste
• 1 tbsp. lemon zest
• 2 large red onions, thinly sliced
• ¼ cup olive oil
• ½ cup roughly chopped parsley
• 1-4 oz. container Greek yogurt (omit, if vegan or sub for vegan yogurt)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 300F.
2. Rinse and sort lentils removing any impurities. Bring 4 cups water to a boil and cook lentils for about 15 minutes until al dente. Do not allow lentils to become too soft. Remove and drain in colander saving the cooking liquid for use later. Rinse with cold water and set aside.
3. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a separate saucepan until a slice of onion sizzles. Add sliced onions and cook slowly, stirring frequently until they are golden brown. Remove ½ of the onions and spread on a foil-lined cookie sheet and salt lightly. Place in the oven for about 10 minutes until amber colored. Do not burn. Add the garlic, lemon zest, cumin, cinnamon, coriander, bay leaves and salt & pepper to taste to the remaining onions in the pot. Cook for about five minutes more.
4. Add 1 cup of the reserved lentil water to the pot along with the rice and lentils.
5. Cook for about ten minutes more, adding more water, if necessary. Adjust seasonings if needed.
6. Serve with the crispy onions and chopped parsley and yogurt on the side.

Notes

You can add dark leafy greens of choice during the last 5 minutes of cooking.

www.jennyedenberk.com/plant-based-recipes/mujadara

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