~ "By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; Through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures." ~ "Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing" ~ "But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy." ~ "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths."~

Monday, July 12, 2010

Mujaddara...A Middle-Eastern Rice and Lentil Dish


Mujaddara...A Middle-Eastern Rice and Lentil Dish If you are looking for a different kind of side dish or main meal, you might want to give this recipe a try. It is a popular vegetarian dish that is a part of the Middle-Eastern cuisine. When looking at the dish, you might not feel that it is very appealing..or that it would taste any good. But the combination of rice, lentils and caramelized onions really do make for a tasty dish. The flavors just blend really well together....at least I think so:). The Mujaddara tastes even better the next day. I like to bring in the Middle-Eastern spices and often do not measure my cumin or coriander....you could even add some cinnamon, if you like. I think the spices add a ton of flavor. But if you don't care for the spices, you can definitely omit them. I like to make this dish by cooking the lentils and rice separately. I have better control over the texture of the rice as well as the lentils. I think traditionally, the two are cooked together. Since, the color of the dish can be kind of blah, I like to add a bit of turmeric to the rice. It sort of brightens the dish up....I only added a pinch this time around, but next time, I will add a bit more...to sort of really brighten the dish.
For this post, I ended up using 2 red onions and one sweet onion. It was all I had at the moment...that is why my onions are sort of purple-ish:). You probably should use yellow... My onions were quite large, but if your onions are on the smaller side, you would probably need to use a bit more. The dish uses lots of fresh onion...but it does cook down quite a bit as it caramelizes. It is the caramelization of the onion that gives the dish incredible flavor. So, I don't think you can have too much onion:)... This dish is traditionally served with some yoghurt, which brings in some freshness and brightens the dish...or try a dallop or two of raita or tzatziki. In any case, if you are looking for a vegetarian dish, you just might want to give this recipe a try. Hope you enjoy...

You will need: initially inspired by AvocadoBravado
3 ex-large onions( I used 2 red + 1 sweet onion, 'cause that is what I had)
1 cup brown lentils, uncooked
3/4 cup basmati rice, uncooked (you can definitely make this even healthier by using some brown rice)
couple of pinches turmeric~optional
salt and pepper~ to taste
2 TBS olive oil
2 TBS butter
1/2-1 tsp cumin ~or to taste
1/4 tsp coriander, ground~ or to taste
cardamom/cinnamon(optional)

Additional:
chopped cilantro
plain yoghurt

Directions:
Cook rice separately in a rice cooker with a couple of pinches of turmeric and maybe a pinch or so of salt. Set aside
Cook lentils, according to package directions. I used my pressure cooker for about 8-9 minutes. Make sure the lentils still retain some of their shape...but is cooked thoroughly. Set aside.
Slice onions thinly...I used my food processor for this. Makes it really simple. You can also chop the onion.
In a large skillet, add the butter and oil. Add sliced/chopped onions and some salt . Cook till caramelized~ this may take some time. Add spices and cook for a minute or so. Reserve a bit of the caramelized onions to top the dish with. Add reserved basmati rice. Stir to combine. Fold in the cooked lentils .
Adjust seasoning. Pile the mujaddara on a plate...top with additional caramelized onions. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro. Serve with yoghurt.

9 comments:

M Family said...

Oh my, this looks wonderful! I can't wait to try it, going to make the paneer today, maybe I will try this one tomorrow....Thanks for such a great blog, it inspires me!

Ellie said...

M Family, Oh, I am so glad you are enjoying the blog...thank you for letting me know and just taking the time to comment. I really appreciate it. I am hoping you like the paneer and the mujaddarra...I love trying out new recipes that are healthy and delicious. Have a blessed day! ~Ellie

Amy said...

This looks great. I just became a follower and look forward to more recipes! Do you think you can use red lentils for brown?

Ellie said...

Hi Amy, Welcome to my blog....I am hoping you will find a recipe or two that you might like.

As for using red lentils in this particular dish...I would not recommend it. Red lentils cook faster but do not retain their shape. They become mushy. They are used more for thickening a soup or making a puree. For this particular dish you want to be able to still have some texture. Hope that helps. ~Ellie

Speranta said...

Cred ca este delicioasa ...o sa incerc si eu ...imi place .

Anonymous said...

mjaddara is cooked rice along with lentils i like mjaddara very much of course here in Jordan we cook it all time specially in winter and when we fasten since it is vegetarian any ways i think you should make it together i mean the rice with lentils, how do you know about these kind of middle eastern meals because one time you posted a recipe making labaneh which is purely middle eastern but we do it with goat milk finally i like your blog specially the views of your hometown which seen in the pictures at your blog

Ellie said...

Anon, I just LOVE middle-eastern food, so I like to try as many dishes as possible:).I haven't cooked the rice and lentils together because I like for the rice and lentils to not get mushy... plus, it looks nicer when assembled:). But thanks for bringing that point up, because I will try it next time to cook them together:). I am sure it gets better flavor that way.
Thank you kindly for your sweet words about the blog... I am SO glad you are enjoying it!

The Stace said...

Somehow happened on your blog an had to make this recipe pronto. Made it last night. It's delicious!

Ellie said...

The Stace, Oh I am so glad you stopped by, tried the recipe... and liked it:)! Thanks so much for taking the time to write and let me know. I really appreciate your feedback!