Lebanon -- Mujadara (Rice & Lentils dish)

BM# 44: A-Z Cooking Series -- Around the World in 30 days
Country: L for Lebanon

Dish: Mujadara (Rice & Lentils dish)

We are going to Lebanon, a country that is located in Western Asia. I think my first experience with Lebanese cuisine was at the local Mediterranean restaurant near my office. It was run by a super active mother-daughter team. They would memorize the orders in their heads and never wrote them down -- no matter how big the order was. They used to have the usual Mediterranean dishes like hummus, baba ghanoush, pita etc., but what I really wanted to order was their Lebanese Moussaka which they said was vegetarian. But unfortunately I never did and now that I'm not working there, I wish I had ordered that dish.

Well today, I didn't make the moussaka, but I made another really filling and comforting Rice & Lentil dish called Mujadara. Mujadara is a humble and comforting dish made with pantry staples, rice and lentils. There is nothing fancy about it, but it is a very flavorful dish with the grown cumin and the crispy fried onions on top. It is also quick dish to make and is usually served with a dollop of yogurt.

Ingredients:

Brown or Green lentils - 1/2cup (I used whole masoor or brown lentils)
Rice - 1/2 cup (I use Jasmine rice, but any long grain rice should work)
Onions - 1 large, thinly sliced
Garlic - 2 cloves
Cumin seeds - 1/2tsp
Black pepper - 1/2 tsp
Ground Cumin - 1/2 tsp
Cayenne pepper - 1/2 tsp
Salt - to taste

Method:

• Soak rice for 15~20 minutes. 
• Cook the lentils until almost cooked through, they should hold their shape and should not be mushy at all. I pressure cooked the lentils for 3 whistles, but you can boil them in a pot with 2cups of water. 
• Once the lentils are par cooked, heat 3tbsp oil in a thick bottomed pan, add the cumin seeds and cracked pepper and cook for 30 seconds; add the sliced onions and cook on medium flame, stirring occasionally until the onions are caramelized and are deep brown in color. 
• Remove half of the onions into a bowl and set aside for garnish later. 
• To the remaining onions in the pot, add the drained rice along with ground cumin, cayenne and salt. Mix well and cook for 2~3 minutes. Add the cooked lentils and 2~3 cups of water. Bring the mixture to a boil, lower the heat and cook covered until the rice is cooked through. 
• I pressure cooked everything for 2 whistles. 
• Serve the dish with the caramelized onions on top.

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