Mujaddara (Lentils and Rice with Crispy Onions)
The humble one-pot dish every Lebanese family knows: lentils and rice cooked together with cumin, crowned with a heap of deeply browned onions.
Method
Rinse the lentils and pick out any small stones. Put them in a 18 cm pot with the water, bring to the boil on high heat, then lower to medium heat and simmer uncovered for , until soft outside but still slightly firm in the centre. Don't drain. Meanwhile, rinse the rice until the water runs clear and drain it, and halve the onions and slice them into thin 3 mm half-moons.
Add in this stepBrown or green lentils 110 gWater 650 ml
high heat→medium heatHeat the olive oil in a wide 24 cm pan on medium-high heat, add the onions with part of the salt and cook for until they collapse. Lower to medium heat and cook for more, stirring more often as they darken, until they are a deep mahogany brown and some are crisp. Blackened onions taste bitter, so don't let them burn. Lift out a third with a slotted spoon and spread on kitchen paper; they will crisp up for the topping.
Add in this stepOlive oil 5 tbspOnions (medium) 2Salt ¼ tsp
medium-high heat→medium heatAdd the rice, the rest of the onions with all their oil, the cumin, pepper and remaining salt to the lentil pot and stir. The liquid should come about 1 cm above the surface; add hot water if needed. Bring to the boil on high heat, cover tightly, lower to low heat and cook for , until the rice is tender and the liquid absorbed. Try not to lift the lid.
Add in this stepLong-grain rice (or basmati) 75 gGround cumin 1 tspBlack pepper 1 pinchSalt ¾ tsp
high heat→low heatTurn off the heat, lay a clean tea towel under the lid and leave to steam for . The towel soaks up condensation so the grains stay fluffy rather than mushy. Fluff gently with a fork.
Spoon into bowls and pile the reserved crispy onions on top. Serve warm or at room temperature with plain yogurt and a tomato-cucumber salad or lemon wedges.
Add in this stepPlain yogurt, to serve 160 g
Cook's tip
The onions are the soul of the dish: brown them slowly and deeply, and their sweetness flavours every grain. Don't use red lentils; they turn to mush. Leftovers keep for 3 days in the fridge; add a spoonful of water when reheating.
Cooking it at camp
One burner is enough. Brown the onions first and set them aside, then cook the lentils in the same pot and finish with the rice and onions, so there is less washing up. Wind weakens the flame, so use a windscreen and add 5 minutes to the resting time. Soaking the lentils for 30 minutes at home shortens the simmering.