Mjaddara - Background
I make this dish when I want to travel back to my youth, to the days when someone else took care of me and cooked my favorite dishes, to a time when summers were spent at cousin's houses...walking downtown among colorful shops and busy streets... with multi-flavor ice cream cones in hand, and a string of relatives in tow.
Mjaddara tops my list of comfort foods. The warm, creamy texture and goodness of the lentils are incomparable. In Lebanon this is considered a peasant dish...I think it is King among lentil dishes!
Mjaddara
- 1/2 c. organic Brown Rice
- 2 c. organic Brown Lentils
- 1/4 c. virgin Olive Oil
- 2 large organic Yellow Onions, finely chopped
- 2 tsp. Salt (or a little more to taste)
- 2 c. hot water
Rinse rice and soak in water for 1 hour.
Pick through lentils, rinse bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
In the meantime, sauté onions in oil over medium heat until just golden. Add the 2 c. hot water and boil 5 minutes over low heat.
Add to the cooking lentils along with the rice and salt. Continue to cook over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally with wood spoon.
Turn to low, cover and continue cooking for 15-20 minutes or until rice is done, stirring frequently to keep from sticking to bottom of pot. Consistency should be like a thick pudding.
Remove from heat and let cool for 15 minutes. Then place 1 cups of the lentil mash in food processor and pulse 4 -5 times until mostly blended. Return to pot and stir into remaining lentils. (If you like your lentils whole, you may skip this step.)
Scoop Mjaddara into large bowl, or several smaller bowls. May be served hot (on cold days) or cold, accompanied by a green salad, pickles, radishes and fresh sweet onions.
Note: Traditionally this dish is eaten with pieces of pita bread folded into cones to form a scoop, then topped with a slice of onion, tomato or pickle!
~ To Your Health! ♥