Mujadara
Lentils and rice topped with deeply caramelized fried onions — first written down in a 1226 Baghdad cookbook and cooked across the Levant today, the crisp, dark onions are what make or break it, not just a garnish.
Vegan
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown or green lentils
- 1 cup basmati rice, rinsed
- 3 large onions, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 3 cups water
Steps
- Simmer the lentils in water for about 15 minutes, until just tender but not mushy.
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a wide pan and fry the sliced onions over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 25-30 minutes until deeply caramelized and almost crisp. Remove and set aside, keeping the flavored oil in the pan.
- Add the rice to the pot with the lentils and their cooking water (topped up to about 3 cups total), along with the cumin, coriander, salt, and pepper.
- Cover and simmer on low heat for 15-18 minutes until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed.
- Stir half the caramelized onions and their oil into the rice and lentils.
- Serve topped with the remaining crispy onions.