Mjaddra(Lentils With Rice)

* Exported from MasterCook *

MJADDRA (LENTILS WITH RICE)

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Vegetarian Main Dish

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
2 c Lentils
3/4 c Uncooked rice
2 md Onions -- chopped
1/2 c Olive oil
1 tb Salt
1/4 ts Cumin
1/2 ts Allspice or bhar

Clean and wash the lentils and boil them until tender.
Mash and strain into a separate pot. Add the rice,
salt, and spices, and mix well. In a pan, saute the
chopped onions in oil until golden. Add them with the
frying oil to the lentils and rice. Bring the mixture
to the boil with enough water to cover and simmer over
low heat for about 10 minutes, until the rice is
cooked, stirring regularly to prevent sticking. Serve
lukewarm or cold with radishes and spring onions or a
cabbage salad.

That's the recipe straight from the book. I make a
couple changes: first of all, I'm a bit liberal with
the cumin and allspice - I don't use measuring spoons,
and I'm sure I get more than the 1/4 or 1/2 teaspoon.
Bhar, btw, is described by the book as "a spice blend
made of cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg. It is very
similar in flavor to allspice, which may be
substituted for it." I use brown basmati rice, so I
have to boil it for more than 10 minutes; this means I
have to keep adding water to it so it doesn't dry out.

I mean to go back to the restaurant I first had this
dish at and ask them what spices they use, since
theirs is both spicier and darker than mine.

Food For The Vegetarian - Traditional Lebanese Recipes
Posted by: bobp@msi.com (Bob Pitha)



- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -