← Nouns Cooking · Lebanese & Turkish

Ingredients

• 250 g brown or green lentils, rinsed
• 200 g Basmati rice, rinsed until the water runs clear
• 3 large onions, halved and thinly sliced
• 120 ml Olive oil
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1½ tsp Salt
• 1.1 l Water
• 200 g plain yogurt, to serve (optional)
• 1 cucumber salad, to serve (optional)

Method

1. Put the lentils and 750 ml of the water in a large pan, bring to the boil and simmer for 15 min until just tender but still holding their shape.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a wide frying pan over medium-high heat and fry the onions, stirring often, for 20–25 min until deep brown and crisp at the edges. Watch closely at the end, as they go from brown to burnt quickly. Lift them out onto kitchen paper and sprinkle with salt, keeping the oil.
3. Add the rice, cumin, salt and the remaining 350 ml water to the lentils, along with 2 tbsp of the onion oil. Bring back to a simmer, cover tightly and cook on the lowest heat for 15–18 min until the rice is tender and the water absorbed.
4. Take off the heat and leave covered for 10 min, then fluff with a fork and stir in a third of the onions.
5. Pile onto a platter, drizzle with a little more onion oil and heap the rest of the crispy onions on top. Serve warm with yogurt and a chopped cucumber salad.

Tips

• Cool leftovers quickly and refrigerate within 1 hour, as cooked rice can grow harmful bacteria if left warm.
• Swap the rice for coarse bulgur for the Lebanese "mujadara burghul" version (not gluten-free).
• Serve with a plant yogurt, or none, to keep it vegan.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Olive Magazine RecipeTin Eats Feel Good Foodie