Spiced Mujaddara with Extra-Crispy Onions and Cucumber-Mint Yogurt

Method

1. Rinse the lentils and pick out any stones. Put them in a 18 cm pot with the water, bay leaves, half the garlic (crushed with the flat of a knife) and part of the salt. Bring to the boil on high heat, lower to medium heat and simmer for 16 min, until just tender but still holding their shape. Drain over a bowl to catch the cooking liquid; it gives the rice a deeper flavour.

   Add in this stepBrown or green lentils 110 gWater (for the lentils) 800 mlBay leaves 1Garlic cloves 1Salt 0.4 tsp

   high heat→medium heat

2. Wash the basmati 4 or 5 times until the water runs clear, soak it in cold water for 20 min, then drain. Soaking keeps the grains long and unbroken.

   Add in this stepBasmati rice 75 g

3. Slice the onions very thinly, about 2 mm. Spread them in a wide 24 cm pan and pour in just enough sunflower oil to cover, then turn the heat on to medium-high heat with the oil still cold. Once bubbling, fry for 18 min, stirring now and then. When the edges start turning golden, lower to medium heat and watch closely: they go from golden to burnt in a minute. Lift them out while light amber, spread on kitchen paper and sprinkle with a little of the salt. They keep darkening off the heat and crisp up as they cool. Strain and keep the oil. Keep water away from the hot oil, and turn off the heat at once if it smokes.

   Add in this stepSunflower oil, for frying 200 mlOnions (medium) 2Salt ⅛ tsp

   medium-high heat→medium heat

4. Wipe out the lentil pot (18 cm), add about 3 tablespoons of the strained onion oil and heat on medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and crushed coriander and toast for 1 min until fragrant, then add the allspice and the drained rice and stir for 2 min until the tips of the grains turn opaque.

   Add in this stepCumin seeds 1 tspCoriander seeds, lightly crushed ½ tspGround allspice 1 pinch

   medium heat

5. Add the lentils (discard the bay and garlic) and the rest of the salt, then pour in enough reserved cooking liquid to come 1 cm above the surface, topping up with water if needed. Bring to the boil on high heat, cover tightly, lower to low heat and cook for 15 min.

   Add in this stepSalt 0.6 tsp

   high heat→low heat

6. Turn off the heat, lay a tea towel under the lid and leave to steam for 10 min. Fluff with a fork, folding in a third of the crispy onions.

7. Grate the cucumber and squeeze it dry, then mix with the yogurt, the remaining garlic finely grated, the dried mint, lemon juice and the last of the salt.

   Add in this stepGreek yogurt 150 gCucumber ½Garlic cloves 1Dried mint 1 tspLemon (juice) ¼Salt ⅛ tsp

8. Mound the mujaddara on a wide platter, pile the rest of the crispy onions high on top and scatter with roughly chopped parsley. Serve with the cucumber-mint yogurt.

   Add in this stepFlat-leaf parsley 10 g