Muhjadarrah
Description
Muhjadarrah is an Arabic dish, made with a few, very basic ingredients: rice, lentils, onion and oil. That’s it! It’s vegetarian (vegan, even), very inexpensive, delicious and easy to make. Plus, you’ll find the green lentils featured in our weekly sale from June 22nd – 28th! This recipe is beautifully simple as it is, but, like most classic dishes, there are dozens of different variations. You could introduce middle eastern spices such as cumin or cinnamon, roasted red peppers, cubed feta cheese, or a swirl of thick yogurt, but we recommend trying this first just as it is. It’s revolutionary to taste something so delicious and satisfying that comes from using the simplest and most humble ingredients imaginable. A few bits of advice – be sure to caramelize the onion very deeply and to use plenty of salt and pepper. These are your only seasonings, so they’re very important. Also, be sure to use brown or green lentils, not the orange ones which will just dissolve to a mush.
Instructions
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until they turn a rich, golden brown color (12-15 minutes). Meanwhile, place the lentils into a saucepan with 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer 15 minutes. Add the rice, pepper, and more water (if needed) so that the lentils and rice are just covered in water. Put a lid on the saucepan and continue to simmer over low heat for another 15 minutes, or until rice is done. Stir in half the onions and 1 tsp salt. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand for 5 minutes. Serve topped with the remaining onions. Serve with pita wedges.
