Brown Rice Mujadara Bowl with Turmeric Chicken Thighs

👨‍🍳 Method

For the Cooked rice

1. 1
   Rinse the rice and the lentils in cold water until the water runs clear and drain.

   Colander

   💡Rinsing removes the starch from the surface of the grains: the rice comes out fluffy and separate, not sticky.
2. 2
   In a bowl, mix the olive oil, paprika, cumin, turmeric, garlic, lemon juice, salt and black pepper and coat the chicken in the mixture.

   Bowl
3. 3
   Cover and marinate in the fridge at least half an hour.

   Refrigerator
4. 4
   Heat the olive oil in a wide pan over high heat.

   ⚙ Pan-fryingStoveFrying pan

   💡What you brown (meat, patties, schnitzel) goes into hot oil: in lukewarm oil it soaks it up and comes out greasy. For onion and garlic that you soften, oil heated over medium or low heat is enough; do not wait for it to smoke.
5. 5
   Fry the chicken in a single layer 5 minutes per side, until it is golden and cooked through.

   Stove

   💡Chicken pieces in a single layer, left alone until the underside releases, sear and brown; in a crowded pan they release liquid and steam.
6. 6
   Let the chicken rest 3 minutes before cutting.

   KnifeCutting board
7. 7
   In a pot, bring the water, cumin and salt to a boil, add the rice and the lentils and stir once.

   StovePot
8. 8
   Turn down to low, cover and simmer 35 minutes without opening the lid, until the liquid is absorbed.

   ⚙ SimmeringStoveLid

   💡A gentle simmer, not a boil: a hard boil dries the food out and clouds it, a slow simmer cooks it evenly.
9. 9
   Turn off the heat and leave covered 10 minutes.

   💡Don't open the lid during cooking: the steam is what cooks the top layer. A towel between the pot and the lid absorbs the drips, so the rice doesn't get soggy.

For the Caramelized Onion

1. 10
   Heat the oil in a wide pot and fry the onion over medium heat 15–18 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.
2. 11
   Remove about half of the onion to a bowl, for garnish, and leave the rest in a pot.

   Bowl
3. 12
   Mix the rest of the fried onion into the mujadara.
4. 13
   Slice the chicken thighs into strips.

   KnifeCutting board
5. 14
   Divide the mujadara among the bowls on one side and the chicken thighs on the other.

   Serving bowl
6. 15
   Sprinkle the reserved onion on top and serve.