Moujadara

Moujadara is a traditional Middle Eastern dish of cooked lentils and rice garnished with golden onion wings, it is a humble and delicious dish cooked almost in every Lebanese cuisine because it is simple, easy and inexpensive that's why in the Middle East, moujadara is known as the peasant's food.

prep. time: 30 mins

Cooking time: 40 mins

Serves: 6

INGREDIENTS:

1 and a half cup lentils (the darker kind if available)

3/4 cup rice (preferably long grain)

3 large onions

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp oil

PREPARATION: First sort the lentils, removing any small stones or rocks then wash and put into a medium cooking pot. Fill with enough water to cover the lentils and cook for about 5 mins then drain them. In a skillet fry one chopped onion with two tbsp of olive oil over medium heat until golden then add it to the lentils. Wash the rice and stir it in the pan adding 4 cups of water and the salt over medium to high heat until it starts boiling, cover the pot, reduce the heat and let it simmer for 20 to 30 mins. The time of cooking depends on the kind of lentils and rice.

The main flavor of the dish is the onions if you noticed without adding pepper. Add the olive oil after turning off the heat while in the pot, stir then pour the moujadara in a serving plate.

Now chop the 2 onions wings and fry them in the same skillet with the rest of oil over medium to low heat until they are golden, if you do it over high heat you won't get the same result and it is not deep frying like it should be done, it takes a little bit more time but the result is to get much healthier dish. When they are done, put them on a kitchen paper towel for few minutes, this keeps the onion a bit crispy. When the moujadara cools down distribute the onions on top of it.

As for myself, not all my children liked the onions on top that's why I used to serve 2 separate dishes, one with onions on top and one without so everyone would be satisfied because when they were little they enjoyed eating it with yogurt on aside.

At last I hope you will give it a try and enjoy a great tasting vegetarian dish to share with family and friends, it makes a perfect meal with cabbage salad tossed with a little bit of garlic, salt, dried, mint, lemon and olive oil.

YUMMY and BON APPETIT!!!