Mujadara - Lentils and Rice with Caramelized Onion

👨‍🍳 Method

For the Caramelized Onion

1. 1
   Rinse the lentils and soak them 30 minutes in cold water.

   Bowl
2. 2
   Heat the oil in a wide pot and fry the onion over low heat 30 minutes, stirring, until it is deep brown.

   StoveWide, shallow pot

   💡Onion caramelizes with patience: over medium heat it reaches deep brown in about half an hour, over low heat it takes close to an hour, and over high heat it burns at the edges before it softens. A pinch of salt at the start draws out its liquid, and when it starts to stick, add a tablespoon of water and scrape the bottom.
3. 3
   Remove about a third of the onion to a bowl, for garnish, and leave the rest in a pot.

   Bowl

To assemble

1. 4
   Drain the lentils and cook them in water 15 minutes, until they are half-soft and hold their shape. Drain.

   StovePotColander

   💡The lentils are only half-cooked first: they keep cooking with the grain, and if fully cooked at the start, they fall apart into mush.
2. 5
   To the onion left in the pot, add the cumin and stir for half a minute, until fragrant.

   Stove
3. 6
   Add the rice, the lentils and the water, season with salt and black pepper and bring to a boil.

   Stove
4. 7
   Turn down to low, cover and simmer about 20 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed. Turn off the heat and leave covered another 10 minutes.

   ⚙ SimmeringStoveLid

   💡The covered rest at the end finishes steaming the grain and separates the grains. Fluff with a fork before serving.

   💡A gentle simmer, not a boil: a hard boil dries the food out and clouds it, a slow simmer cooks it evenly.
5. 8
   Serve with the reserved onion on top.