Mujaddara

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This is such a delicious comfort food meal in the fall. It pairs wonderfully with kale and squash.

For the Crispy Onions:

  • 2 lbs. onions, halved and sliced crosswise into 1/4 inch thick pieces

  • 2 tsp. kosher salt

  • 1 1/2 cups vegetable or canola oil

    For the Garlic Yogurt Sauce:

  • 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt

  • 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

  • 1 clove minced garlic

  • 1/2 tsp. kosher salt

    For the Rice and Lentils:

  • 1 1/4 cups green or brown lentils, picked over and rinsed

  • 1 1/4 cup Basmati Rice

  • 1 recipe of the Crispy Onions, and 3 Tbsp. of the oil they cooked in

  • 3 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 tsp. ground coriander

  • 1 tsp. ground cumin

  • 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

  • 1/2 tsp. ground allspice

  • 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

  • 1 tsp. sugar

  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Make the Crispy Onions:

  1. Heat the onions and oil in a Dutch oven over high heat, stirring frequently, until the onions are golden brown and crisping up, about 25-30 minutes.

  2. Drain the onions (Carefully!) into a colander, over a large bowl, reserving oil. Transfer the drained onions to a paper towel lined cookie sheet and set aside. (Personally, I like to add extra oil when caramelizing and don’t drain it off).

While the Crispy Onions are cooking:

  1. In a medium sized saucepan, bring 4 cups water, 1 tsp. salt and lentils to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and cook until lentils are just tender, 15-17 minutes. Drain and set aside.

  2. While the lentils cook, place the rice in a medium sized bowl and cover by two inches of hot water. Let the rice stand for 15 minutes.

  3. Swish the rice grains in the bowl to help release the excess starch. Carefully, pour off the hot water, keeping the rice in the bowl. Add cold water, swish again, and pour off the water. Repeat a few times until the water runs almost clear. Drain the rice in a fine mesh strainer. Set aside.

Prepare the Garlic Yogurt Sauce:

  1. Combine the yogurt, lemon juice, salt, and garlic in a small bowl. Refrigerate until serving time.

Cook the Rice and Lentils:

  1. Heat 3 Tbsp. of reserved onion oil in the Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the 3 cloves minced garlic, coriander, cumin, cinnamon, allspice, 1/4 tsp. pepper, and cayenne. Stir until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.

  2. Add the rice and cook, stirring occasionally, until the edges of the rice begin to turn translucent, 3-4 minutes.

  3. Add 2 1/4 cups water, 1 tsp. sugar, and 1 tsp. salt. Bring to a boil.

  4. Stir in the lentils, reduce the heat to low, and cover. Cook until all of the liquid is absorbed, 10-12 minutes.

  5. Take the pan off the heat. Fold a dish towel in half. Remove the lid of the pot, place the dish towel over the top of the pan and place the lid back on. Let stand for 10 minutes.

  6. Fluff the Mujaddara with a fork. Stir in half of the Crispy Onions and the chopped cilantro.

  7. Serve with Garlic Yogurt sauce and sprinkle with more Crispy Onions.

  8. ENJOY!