MEJADRA

This is a very good winter recipe. The combination of the lentils with the rice and all the spices is great, and the crunchy onion on top, turns it into a delicious and comfort meal. 

Ingredients

250g - green or brown lentils

4 - medium onions (700g before peeling)

3 tbsp - plain flour

about 250ml sunflower oil

2 tsp - cumin seeds

1½ tbsp - coriander seeds

200g - basmati rice

2 tbsp - olive oil

½ tsp - ground turmeric

1½ tsp - ground allspice

1½ tsp - ground cinnamon

1 tsp - sugar

350ml - water

salt and black pepper

Method

Place the lentils in a small saucepan, cover with plenty of water, bring to a boil and cook for 12–15 minutes or until the lentils have softened but still have a little bite, then drain.

Peel and slice the onions thinly. Place on a large flat plate, sprinkle with the flour and 1 teaspoon of salt and mix well with your hands. 

Heat up 250ml of sunflower oil in a medium heavy-based saucepan placed on a high heat. Make sure the oil is hot by throwing in a small piece of onion; it should sizzle vigorously. Reduce the heat to medium– high and carefully (it may spit!) add a third of the sliced onion. 

Fry for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally with a slotted spoon, until the onion takes on a nice golden-brown colour and turns crispy (adjust the temperature so the onion doesn’t fry too quickly and burn). 

Use your spoon to transfer into a colander lined with kitchen paper and sprinkle with a little more salt. 

Do the same with the other two batches of onion; add a little extra oil if needed.

Wipe clean the saucepan in which you fried the onion and put in the cumin and coriander seeds. Place on a medium heat and toast the seeds for a minute or two. Add the rice, olive oil, turmeric, allspice, cinnamon, sugar, ½ a teaspoon of salt and plenty of black pepper. Stir to coat the rice with oil and then add the cooked lentils and the water. Bring to the boil, cover with a lid and simmer on a very low heat for 15 minutes.

Remove from the heat, lift off the lid and quickly cover the pan with a clean tea towel. Seal tightly with the lid and set aside for 10 minutes.

Finally, add half the fried onion to the rice and lentils and stir gently with a fork. Pile up in a shallow serving bowl and top with the rest of the onion.

Serves 6

 

Here I served it with Hummus Kawarma. 

Note from the Authors

'This ancient dish, popular throughout the Arab world, is also one of our most loved. The fried onion, with its sweet oiliness and slight crunch, is the secret. When Sami’s family went out on a day trip to Jericho, it was a large pot of mejadra they used to take with them for the picnic. It was divided into small bowls and topped with a spoonful of fresh yoghurt sauce. Dessert was a huge watermelon that Sami’s dad chilled in a small stream running into the Jordan River.'