Mujadara with Crispy Onions
Mujadara is humble cooking at its most satisfying, a one-pot dish of lentils and rice that has fed families across the Levant for centuries. The whole thing turns on the onions, which must be cooked far past golden, into a dark, sweet tangle. Save half to fold in and half to pile on top.
Ingredients
- 200g brown or green lentils, rinsed
- 150g long-grain rice, rinsed
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 large onions, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- Half a teaspoon ground allspice
- Sea salt, to taste
- A handful of parsley, chopped, to serve
Method
- Simmer the lentils in plenty of water for about 15 minutes, until almost tender but still holding shape. Drain.
- Warm the olive oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onions and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring often, for 20 minutes, until dark and sweet. Remove half and set aside for the top.
- Stir the cumin and allspice into the onions left in the pot, then add the drained lentils and rice.
- Pour in 350ml water, season well, and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook on low for 15 minutes, until the rice is tender and the water absorbed.
- Rest off the heat for 10 minutes. Fluff, then crown with the reserved onions and parsley.