Dinner: Mujadara

Mujadara, which is essentially rice pilaf with lentils and caramelized onions, has a lot going for it. We always have the (inexpensive) ingredients on hand. It's tasty and filling and nutritious and the flavors meld beautifully and did I mention it is really inexpensive?

The main problem with mujadara is that I hate how long it takes to caramelize the onions, but I get over it because the onions pretty much make the dish. Mujadara is really nice with a drizzle of Greek yogurt (what isn't better with Greek yogurt?) and a big salad. Yesterday I was feeling sick (sick enough to cancel plans to grab Turkish food with friends), but this dish was simple enough to comfort my tummy and make me feel a little better.

Mark Bittmann's recipe for mujadara is pretty basic, so I improvised a bit: after the onions are caramelized, I deglazed the pan with a bit of cognac (I know, totally inauthentic but I like the flavor of onions with cognac) and I also added cinnamon and allspice.


Recipe: Mujadara (or caramelized onion, lentils, and rice pilaf) adapted from Mark Bittmann

serves 2 as a main or 4 as a side dish

• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup dried brown (or green) lentils, rinsed and picked over
• 1/2 cup long-grain rice
• 1 teaspoon salt, plus more for serving
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• minced flat leaf parsley, for garnish
• Kosher salt, to taste
  

1. In a large (12-inch) sauté pan or skillet or a Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are deeply browned. Don't worry if they start to blacken a bit. This is a lengthy process: 45 minutes to 1 hour.
2. While the onions are cooking, add the lentils to a medium saucepan and add water to cover (by about an inch). Bring the lentils and water to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce to a simmer and let cook for about 20 minutes or until the lentils are tender. Drain and set aside.
3. When the onions are deeply caramelized, remove about 1/2 of the onion mixture and reserve for later. If you like, add a splash of cognac to the pan containing the onions and use a wooden spoon to scrape the brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Next, add the rice, cinnamon, allspice, and a pinch of kosher salt to the remaining onions and stir to coat. Finally, add the cooked lentils, along with 2 cups of water and an additional pinch of salt, if desired. Stir to mix well, and bring the pan to a boil. Reduce the heat to keep the pan at a slow simmer, cover, and cook for about 15 minutes.
4. After 15 minutes, check the mujadara: if there is still liquid in the pot, keep cooking until the liquid is fully absorbed. If, on the other hand, the mixture begins to dry out before the rice is completely cooked, add add another splash of water and continue cooking until the liquid is absorbed. The dish is ready when the rice is tender and there is no longer any excess liquid to be absorbed. This process normally takes between 20-30 minutes.
5. Garnish with the reserved onions, chopped parsley. Also good with a few dashes of cayenne or hot chile sauce.