Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Mejeddarah
This is easy, inexpensive, filling and tasty. You can halve the recipe if you like, or not. It reheats well and is good for leftover lunch.
olive oil
10 large onions, thinly sliced
8 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups basmati rice
3 cups lentils, any kind you like, I use the French green lentils the most
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 1/2 teaspoons salt + more for the crisp onions
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper or red pepper flakes (but if you can get the Aleppo pepper, I really recommend it)
water
In a medium-large pot, heat about 1/3 cup olive oil over medium-high heat, coat the pan liberally with the oil. Reduce the heat to low and cook the onions, until they are soft and brown, just starting to crisp, stirring every 5 - 10 minutes, more as they get browner. Remove about half the onions to a frying pan.
Add the garlic, rice and lentils, along with the spices and salt, and stir until the rice is fragrant. You may need to add a little more olive oil. Add enough water to cover by about an inch. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat, and simmer until all the water is absorbed, about 20-30 minutes. Taste for seasoning and adjust as you wish.
Heat the frying pan to low and cook onions slowly, stirring until they are fully caramelized, crisp and very dark, but not burnt. Season with salt.
Serve the mejeddarah with the crisp onions and with laban bi chiyar (cucumber yogurt salad) or just plain yogurt.
Labels: Frugality, Homemaking, Recipes, Tales from the Kitchen
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