This is an easy to prepare vegetarian dish, served with a side of greek yogurt to complement spicy sauces such as garlic-chili used or Shatta (Middle Eastern hot sauce) as toppings. You could even add a few dollops of Tizatziki rather than the yoghurt mentioned below. Add chopped oven-roasted tomatoes for even more flavor. Use olive oil or peanut oil to cook the onions. Maybe a sprinkle of chopped pistachios would be good too.
Ingredients:
- 4 medium cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 ¾ teaspoons fine sea salt, divided
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 5 cups water
- 1 cup brown* basmati rice (regular, not quick-cooking), rinsed and drained
- 1 cup regular brown or green lentils**, picked over for debris, rinsed and drained
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 medium-to-large yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced
- ½ cup thinly sliced green onions (from 1 bunch), divided
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro or flat-leaf parsley, divided
- Plain whole-milk or Greek yogurt, for serving
Instructions:
- In a large Dutch oven or soup pot, combine the garlic, bay leaves, cumin, 1 ½ teaspoons of the salt and about 20 twists of freshly ground black pepper. Add the water and bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Once boiling, stir in the rice and reduce the heat to medium. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally and adjusting the heat as necessary to maintain a controlled simmer, for 10 minutes.
- Stir in the lentils and let the mixture return to a simmer. Cover again, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook until the liquid is absorbed and the rice and lentils are tender, about 20 to 23 minutes.
- Meanwhile, warm the olive oil in a large (12-inch) skillet over medium-high heat. When it’s warm enough that a slice of onion sizzles on contact, add the remaining onions. Stir to combine.
- Stir only every 3 minutes or so at first, then more often once the onions at the edges of the pan start browning. If the onions are browning before they have softened, dial down the heat to give them more time. Cook until the onions are deeply caramelized and starting to crisp at the edges, about 20 to 30 minutes. In the meantime, line a large plate or cutting board with a couple paper towels.
- Using a slotted spoon or fish spatula, transfer the onions to the lined plate and spread them evenly across. Sprinkle the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt over the onions. They’ll crisp up as they cool.
- When the lentils and rice are done cooking, drain off any excess water (if there is any) and return the mixture to the pot, off the heat. Lay a kitchen towel across the top of the pot to absorb steam, then cover the pot and let it rest for 10 minutes.
- Remove the lid, discard the bay leaves, and smash the garlic cloves against the side of the pan with a fork. Add about ¾ of the green onions and cilantro, reserving the rest for garnish. Gently stir and fluff the rice with a fork. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper, if necessary.
- Transfer the rice and lentil mixture to a large serving platter or bowl. Top with the caramelized onions and the remaining green onions and cilantro. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature, with yogurt and spicy sauce (optional) on the side.
The recipe does best with brown basmati rice and uncooked brown or green lentils and not other varieties. Cook lentils can work but not as well. You can even cook the rice and lentils in the same pot. Start the rice about 10 minutes before adding the lentils while preparing the onions.
Serve with a simple green salad with mint dressing, or hummus and pita slices. If you did not add the dried tomatoes, serve with fresh tomatoes and crumbled feta cheese. Can be served warm or room temperature.
From a recipe adapted from Milk Street
