Mujadara is a meatless Lebanese dish made with lentils and rice. It was traditionally eaten during Lent when many were fasting from meat. It's also commonly eaten all year round on Fridays (a day when many Lebanese did not eat meat). It's super healthy, delicious, and easy to make. Remember, you can always cut back on the olive oil or any ingredient. Eva loves her olive oil and believe it or not, she has cut back a lot compared to what her mother and grandmother have used in the past!
Ingredients:
16 ounces or about 2 cups of uncooked lentils
2 medium sized onions and 1 small onion
1 cup of rice
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Instructions:
1. Rinse lentil and place in medium sized pot on stove. Add 4 cups of water and bring to a boil
2. While waiting for the water to boil, peel 2 onions and slice the long way (long strips)
3. In a fairly large skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil (more or less). After oil is heated, add onions and a couple dashes of salt and sauté until onions are between caramelized and crispy (whatever you prefer). After onions are caramelized (about 12 minutes) remove to a plate and set aside
4. When lentils begin to boil, turn down heat to medium low
5. Finely dice a small onion and put aside
6. Test lentil, if it is cooked and if most of the water has evaporated, add 1 cup of rice, 2 teaspoons of salt, a couple dashes of pepper, and stir together. Add 3 cups of water and bring to a boil and lower heat to low
7. In the same onion skillet used in step 3, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and add diced onions and a couple dashes of salt (because pan is hot, these will cook quicker) cook until slightly more than caramelized or a dark brown (back in the day they were burnt, but you can caramelize less if you want)
8. Add diced onion with its oil mixture to pot (be careful doing this as this may cause your lentil mixture to bubble) and cook on low heat until water is mostly evaporated and rice and lentil are cooked (taste to see if you need more salt). Be sure to stir every 5 minutes
9. Garnish with caramelized onion strips (we mix the onions in before eating)
Enjoy!
Source: Eva's Lebanese Cooking
