Lentils, Rice, and Crispy Onions (Mujaddara)

Lentils, Rice, and Crispy Onions, known as Mujaddara, is a delightful and flavorful Middle Eastern dish that beautifully combines tender basmati rice and earthy lentils seasoned with warm spices and minced garlic. The dish is then topped with deeply flavorful fried onions and served with a zesty yogurt sauce, making it a comforting and satisfying meal. Despite its simple ingredients, this classic dish exemplifies how humble elements can create a rich and complex flavor profile.

To achieve the perfect crispy texture of the fried onions, we use a microwave to remove excess liquid from the onions before frying them to a deep golden brown. The pilaf method of cooking the rice and lentils ensures they finish cooking at the same time. We soak the rice in hot water to give it a fluffy, non-sticky texture. Additionally, blooming the spices and toasting the rice in oil from the fried onions enhance the flavors, resulting in a deliciously nutty taste.

Lentils, Rice, and Crispy Onions is a comforting and nutritious dish that can be enjoyed as a main course or served alongside other Middle Eastern-inspired dishes. With its delightful mix of flavors and textures, this dish is sure to become a family favorite.

SERVES 4 TO 6

INGREDIENTS:

YOGURT SAUCE

• 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon garlic, minced
• ½ teaspoon salt

RICE AND LENTILS

• 2 pounds onions, halved and sliced ¼ inch thick
• Salt and pepper
• 1½ cups vegetable oil
• 8½ ounces (1¼ cups) green or brown lentils, picked over and rinsed
• 1¼ cups basmati rice
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground allspice
• ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro

INSTRUCTIONS:

YOGURT SAUCE

1. Whisk all yogurt sauce ingredients together in a bowl and refrigerate until serving time.

RICE AND LENTILS

1. Toss the onions with 2 teaspoons of salt in a bowl and microwave for 5 minutes. Rinse the onions thoroughly, drain, and pat them dry with paper towels. Cook the onions and vegetable oil in a Dutch oven over high heat, stirring often, until golden brown (about 25 to 30 minutes). Drain the onions in a colander set in a large bowl, reserving 3 tablespoons of the oil. Transfer the onions to a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Do not wash the pot.
2. In the meantime, bring the lentils, 4 cups of water, and 1 teaspoon of salt to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and cook until the lentils are tender (about 15 to 17 minutes). Drain the lentils and set them aside.
3. While the onions and lentils are cooking, place the rice in a medium bowl, add enough hot tap water to cover it by 2 inches, and let it stand for 15 minutes. Use your hands to gently swish the rice grains to release excess starch. Carefully pour off the water, leaving the rice in the bowl. Add cold tap water to the rice and pour it off. Repeat this process of adding and pouring off cold water 4 to 5 times, until the water runs almost clear. Drain the rice in a fine-mesh strainer.
4. Heat 3 tablespoons of the reserved onion oil, garlic, coriander, cumin, cinnamon, allspice, ¼ teaspoon of pepper, and cayenne in the now-empty Dutch oven over medium heat until fragrant (about 2 minutes). Stir in the rice and cook, stirring occasionally, until the edges of the rice begin to turn translucent (about 3 minutes). Stir in 2¼ cups of water, sugar, and 1 teaspoon of salt, and bring the mixture to a boil. Stir in the cooked lentils, reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and cook until all the liquid is absorbed (about 12 minutes).
5. Remove the pot from heat, lay a clean folded dish towel underneath the lid, and let it sit for 10 minutes. Fluff the rice and lentils with a fork and stir in the minced cilantro and half of the fried onions. Transfer the pilaf to a serving platter and top it with the remaining fried onions. Serve with the yogurt sauce.

Enjoy the delightful flavors of Lentils, Rice, and Crispy Onions (Mujaddara), and savor the comforting Middle Eastern goodness of this simple yet flavorful dish. It is perfect for family dinners or special occasions when you want to delight your taste buds with a taste of the Middle East.