Mjaddarah - Lentils, Caramelized Onions and Rice

This simple dish of lentils, grain and onions is a down home favorite in the Levant. Muslim, Christian and Jewish families of the Middle East all savor it as a humble pleasure fit for kings. It never occurred to me that a "mess of pottage" would be popular in the West, but after my husband reported that his co-workers were crazy for a local deli's mjaddarah, I decided to start cooking it.

The following sophisticated version made with rice and caramelized onions comes from Claudia Roden's Cairo family. Total strangers have raved over this dish at parties. Since it is served at room temperature but doesn't have any particularly volatile ingredients, it is a great candidate for pot luck, especially vegetarian. Recipe appears in The New Book of Middle Eastern Food.

Serves 4-6

3 large onions, cut in half and sliced
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/4 cups large brown or green lentils
1 1/4 cups long-grain white rice
Salt and pepper

Fry the onions slowly in a large pan over very low heat in 3-4 tablespoons of the oil - covered to begin with, until they soften, stirring often, and then uncovered-- until they turn a rich golden brown.

Rinse the lentils in cold water and drain. Cook in 5 1/2 cups water for 20 minutes. Add half the fried onions and the rice to the lentils. Season with salt and pepper and stir well. Put the lid on and cook over very low heat for another 20 minutes, or until the rice and lentils are tender, watching and adding water if it becomes too dry. Please note that the amounts of water may vary widely. You must watch it carefully!

At the same time, put the remaining onions in the pan back on the fire, and continue to fry them, stirring often, over medium to high heat, until they are a dark brown -- almost caramelized.
Serve the lentils and rice cold or warm in a wide shallow dish with the onions sprinkled on top and the remaining raw olive oil poured all over.

Yogurt and a salad of greens and cucumbers are favorite accompaniments.

Comments

[Tim]

I love Mjaddarah! I think I'm going to have to give this recipe a shot!

[Susan Connors]

I have seen you mention yoghurt salad (I know this as a greek dish "Zaziki?") It should be a cucumber salad. Do you make something similare, and, if so, is there a receipe?

Shukran

[Jax]

Wow! This is exactly the receipe my family has used for generations! We've always called it "jutala" and I knew another family that had it a little closer "judara" but I've been trying to figure out how to spell it forever.

[Frank Goodman]

Mjaddarah! This is one of the first 'Arabic', actually Middle East, foods I came to love. My son, now 22, used to as a toddler, eat Mjaddarah with a spoon in one hand and a fork in the other. He would keep one in the air at a time and the other in his mouth while alternately spooning or forking the food to keep the rhythm. I have photos of him in this delight.

There are other Middle East recipes that would delight Western pallets. Among them is Mglubah, Capsah, Manseff, and others better known, such as Taboule and Hummus.