Lebanese Mjadra Lentil Rice Lettuce Cups Recipes

LEBANESE MUJADARA RECIPE

Steps:

• Rinse the lentils and add to the boiling water for about 15 minutes until they are tender; drain;
• In a heavy pan heat up olive oil, add chopped onions and cook until translucent, 3-4 minutes;
• Add cumin and coriander, mix well;
• Add rice and lentils and coat with onion & spice mixture;
• Add cold water to cover the grains, season with salt and pepper;
• Cook for about 15 minutes until the water is absorbed and rice and lentils are soft;
• In the meantime heat up cooking oil, add sliced onion and fry until golden brown and crispy; take out of the pan and dry on paper towel;
• Once rice and lentils are cooked, turn off the heat, add cinnamon, cover and let stand for 10 minutes;
• Place the rice and lentils on a serving dish, top with fried onions and parsley; serve immediately.

LEBANESE LENTILS, RICE AND CARAMELIZED ONIONS (MUJADARA)

Steps:

• Throw the lentils into a medium saucepan. Fill with enough cold water to cover the lentils by about an inch. Bring it to a boil over medium-high heat, then turn down to a simmer and cook until the lentils are tender but not mushy, about 20 minutes. Drain and set aside.
• Meanwhile, as the lentils cook, grab a large skillet. Pop it over medium-high heat and add the oil. Allow the oil to warm for a minute, then drop in the cumin seeds and cracked peppercorns and cook, shaking the pan once in a while until the cumin seeds darken a touch, about 1 minute.
• Add the onions, sprinkle with a dash of salt and cook until they turn dark caramel brown, stirring often. This will take about 15 minutes. Splash the onions with a little water if they stick to the bottom of the pan. You'll know they're done both by their deep chestnut color and by the slight crispiness developing on some of the onions.
• Using a slotted spoon or spatula, remove about half of the onions to a paper towel-lined plate; these are for garnish later. Sprinkle in the ground cumin, cayenne and then add the cinnamon stick; saute about 1 minute.
• Add the rice and cook, stirring often (but gently so you don't break the rice!) until some rice grains start to brown. Quickly, add the cooked lentils, 3 cups of water and 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt; bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to low so that the pan is at a simmer, cover and cook 30 minutes. The water should be completely evaporated and rice should be tender. (If there's still too much water in the bottom, put the lid back on and cook for another 5 minutes.)
• Turn off the heat, keep the lid on, and allow the rice to steam undisturbed for about 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, toast the pine nuts, if using, in a small skillet over medium-low heat, shaking often, about 5 minutes.
• Taste the rice for seasoning. Serve with the reserved caramelized onions, toasted pine nuts, if using, and a little squeeze of lemon juice. I also like to serve this with some dollops of Greek yogurt.

MUJADDARA ARABIC LENTIL RICE

Steps:

• Combine the lentils, 2 cups water, 1 teaspoon salt, the cumin, and garlic powder in a pot over medium heat; bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low, and cook until the lentils begin to soften, 20 to 30 minutes.
• Stir the rice, 3/4 cup water, 1 teaspoon salt, and the olive oil into the lentils. Cover the pot and continue cooking until the lentils and rice are tender, about 40 minutes.
• Heat the cooking oil in a skillet over medium heat; cook the onions in the oil until browned, 7 to 10 minutes. Spread the onions over the rice and lentil mixture to serve.

LEBANESE MJADRA - LENTIL & RICE LETTUCE CUPS

Steps:

• Using a medium saucepan, bring lentils and 4 cups of water to the boil on a high heat. Cover, reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat oil in a frying pan. Cook the onion for 5 minutes, until soft and golden.
• Add half of the onion to the lentils. Also add the rice and stock. Season with salt. Return to the boil and cook for another 20 minutes, until thick and creamy.
• With the remaining half of the onion -- continue to fry for another 10 minutes. It should be dark brown and caramelized.
• Add the caramelized onion to the lentils and cook another 5 minutes. Stir occasionally.
• To serve- spoon lentils into lettuce cups and serve with lemon wedges, pepper and yogurt if desired.
• For vegetarian do not use chicken stock.

MJADRA - LENTILS AND RICE

Steps:

• Combine water and lentils and boil for 10 minutes.
• Add rice to the boiling water, keeping the lentils in the pot, and boil for 15 minutes - until the rice starts to bubble at the top. Stir occasionally.
• Meanwhile, saute strips of onion in olive oil and add to rice and lentils.
• Stir in salt and pepper, to taste. You definitely will need the salt and pepper. You may need to experiment with the amount.
• Simmer this mixture for about another 5 minutes.
• Eat as is or serve with a salad (as described in the intro.).