Mujadara: Lentils and Rice under Crisp Brown Onions

What you need

• 200 g (1 cup) brown lentils, rinsed and picked over
• 200 g (1 cup) basmati rice, rinsed until the water runs clear
• 4 large onions, halved and thinly sliced
• 120 ml (1/2 cup) olive oil
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 500 ml (2 cups) water, plus more for boiling the lentils
• plain yogurt, to serve

Method

Restated from the original video

1. 1

   Heat the olive oil in a wide, heavy pot with a lid over medium-high heat.

2. 2

   Add the onions with 1/2 tsp of the salt and cook, stirring often, until deep brown and crisp at the edges, 25-30 min. Turn the heat down if patches darken too fast.

3. 3

   While the onions cook, put the lentils in a saucepan, cover with water by about 5 cm and boil until just tender but still holding their shape, 15-18 min. Drain.

4. 4

   Lift about half the onions out with a slotted spoon and spread them on paper towels to crisp.

5. 5

   Stir the cumin and pepper into the onions left in the pot and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant.

6. 6

   Add the rice and stir for 1-2 min so every grain is coated in the oil.

7. 7

   Add the drained lentils, the 500 ml water and the rest of the salt, and bring to a boil.

8. 8

   Cover, turn the heat to the lowest setting and cook for 15-18 min. The grains should be soft with no liquid left in the pot.

9. 9

   Take the pot off the heat and leave it covered for 10 min.

10. 10

    Fluff the grains with a fork and taste for salt.

11. 11

    Pile onto a platter, scatter the reserved onions over the top and serve with yogurt on the side.

Imported from mealplans.cooksmarts.com. Recipe Grab pulled out what you need to cook it; the video stays where its author put it.