Lentilsandrice Recipes

MUJADARA (LENTILS AND RICE WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS)

Steps:

• In a large Dutch oven or soup pot, combine the garlic, bay leaves, cumin, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the salt and about 20 twists of freshly ground black pepper. Add the water and bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat.
• Once boiling, stir in the rice and reduce the heat to medium. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally and adjusting the heat as necessary to maintain a controlled simmer, for 10 minutes.
• Stir in the lentils and let the mixture return to a simmer. Cover again, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook until the liquid is absorbed and the rice and lentils are tender, about 20 to 23 minutes.
• Meanwhile, warm the olive oil in a large (12-inch) skillet over medium-high heat. When it's warm enough that a slice of onion sizzles on contact, add the remaining onions. Stir to combine.
• Stir only every 3 minutes or so at first, then more often once the onions at the edges of the pan start browning. If the onions are browning before they have softened, dial down the heat to give them more time. Cook until the onions are deeply caramelized and starting to crisp at the edges, about 20 to 30 minutes. In the meantime, line a large plate or cutting board with a couple paper towels.
• Using a slotted spoon or fish spatula, transfer the onions to the lined plate and spread them evenly across. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt over the onions. They'll crisp up as they cool.
• When the lentils and rice are done cooking, drain off any excess water (if there is any) and return the mixture to the pot, off the heat. Lay a kitchen towel across the top of the pot to absorb steam, then cover the pot and let it rest for 10 minutes.
• Remove the lid, discard the bay leaves, and smash the garlic cloves against the side of the pan with a fork. Add about 3/4ths of the green onions and cilantro, reserving the rest for garnish. Gently stir and fluff the rice with a fork. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper, if necessary.
• Transfer the rice and lentil mixture to a large serving platter or bowl. Top with the caramelized onions and the remaining green onions and cilantro. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature, with yogurt and spicy sauce (optional) on the side.

EASY ONE POT LENTILS AND RICE

Steps:

• Cover the lentils with the water.
• Peel and crush the garlic cloves lightly with the back of a knife. Leave the cloves whole, so that they flavor the dish but can be removed if desired. (I leave them out of the kids' portions, and give them to my DH and myself).
• Add garlic to the pot, along with the bay leaves, cumin seeds and cinnamon. (DO NOT add salt at this point, as lentils will not cook properly).
• Bring to a boil. Cook at a boil until the lentils are just tender. This should take about 25 minutes, but may take longer dependig on the age of your lentils.
• Add the rice, salt and olive oil, and bring back to a boil.
• Stir, cover pot, reduce heat to low, and cook for 15 minutes.
• Check to make sure the rice is done, adjust seasonings, and serve. If there is still too much liquid in the pan, just let it sit uncovered for a few minutes.
• Enjoy!

LENTILS AND RICE WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• In a large pot, sauté the diced red onion and minced garlic in 1 tablespoon of olive oil until translucent, about 5 minutes.
• Add the water, green lentils, and salt to the large pot. Bring to a boil.
• Cover with lid and simmer for 10 minutes.
• To make the caramelized onions, heat a tablespoon of olive oil over low heat and add the onion slices, stirring occasionally until completely soft, dark brown, and caramelized.
• NOTE: This will take about 30 minutes. The onions should become very dark and tacky when finished. Stir often to avoid burning.
• Add the rice, cumin, cinnamon, and bayleaf to the lentils. Stir.
• Cook covered for about 15 minutes, or until rice is cooked.
• Serve lentils and rice topped with the caramelized onions, chopped fresh parsley, lemon wedges, and Greek yogurt if desired.
• Enjoy!

LENTILS AND RICE WITH FRIED ONIONS (MUJADARRAH)

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onions, and cook about 10 minutes, until browned. Remove from heat, and set aside.
• Place lentils in a medium saucepan with enough lightly salted water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer about 15 minutes.
• Stir rice and enough water to cover into the saucepan with the lentils. Season with salt and pepper. Cover saucepan, and continue to simmer 15 to 20 minutes, until rice and lentils are tender.
• Mix half the onions into the lentil mixture. Top with yogurt or sour cream and remaining onions to serve.

ONION LENTILS AND RICE

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in skillet, saute the onions with 1 tsp cumin until lightly browned (can add some garlic too, if desired).
• Remove 1/3 of the onions and set aside.
• Continue cooking the rest of the onions until dark brown and black in places.
• In the meantime, bring water to a boil in a saucepan, add the lentils, reduce heat, and cover, simmering for 15 minutes.
• To the lentils, add the 1/3 lightly browned onions, rice, salt, and remaining 1 tsp cumin.
• Cover and simmer 15 minutes or until rice is tender.
• Remove from heat and stir in the well-browned onions.
• Cover and let stand for 5-10 minutes.
• Serve!
• Especially good with chopped lettuce, tomatoes, and a dollop of yogurt or sour cream on top.
• Also good with cooked spinach.

LENTIL AND RICE SALAD

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large saucepan. Add the carrot, onion, and garlic and saute until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the lentils. Add 2 1/2 cups of broth and bring to a boil over high heat. Decrease the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer gently until the lentils are just tender, about 15 minutes. Drain well. Transfer the lentils to a large bowl.
• Meanwhile, bring the remaining 2 cups broth and bay leaf to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add the rice and return the broth to a simmer. Cover and simmer gently over low heat until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes (do not stir the rice as it cooks). Remove the saucepan from the heat. Fluff the rice with a large fork. Transfer to the bowl with the lentils. Add the olives, parsley, thyme, and lemon peel. Toss the rice mixture with the remaining 3 tablespoons oil to coat. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature.

ONE POT MEXICAN LENTILS AND RICE

Steps:

• Thinly slice 2 onions. Add them to a tablespoon of oil and cook over mediumish heat for 20-40 minutes, stirring regularly. I season them with pinches of salt throughout the caramelization process.
• Roast two tomatoes in a 400F oven for 20-25 minutes.
• Add 1/2 cup of lentils to a heaping cup of water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and then let simmer for 10-15 minutes or until most of the water is absorbed. Drain and set aside.
• When the onions are mostly caramelized, add the two roasted tomatoes to a blender or food processor along with 2 chipotles in adobo and 4 garlic cloves. Combine well.
• Set aside some of the caramelized onions for garnish if you want.
• Add 4 cups of stock (or water) and one teaspoon of salt to the caramelized onions. Bring to a boil and then let simmer for a few minutes.
• Add the parboiled lentils, the tomato-chipotle mixture, one cup of rice, 1/2 teaspoon of cumin, a pinch of cinnamon, and some freshly cracked pepper. Combine well and then bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer until most of the liquid is absorbed.
• Take a taste for seasoning (I added another 1/2 teaspoon of salt). Remove from heat, cover, and let sit in its own steam for 5-10 minutes.
• Serve immediately and store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.

HERBED LENTILS AND RICE

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine the first 11 ingredients; stir in 1/2 cup cheese. Transfer to a 1-1/2-qt. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Cover and bake at 350° for 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until lentils and rice are tender and liquid is absorbed, stirring twice. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake 2-3 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

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.