Lentils Shine in a Dish Called Mujadara

I like lentils. Liking lentils in the first place, may - or may not - preclude some from liking this dish. 

I had heard of Mujadara. I just never researched it to find out what, exactly, it was. I am not at all sure how or why I missed out on this meal, but I surely do wish I'd found out sooner, because it is one amazingly flavored dish. 

Mujadara

Mujadara is a Lebanese / Middle Eastern concoction of lentils and rice. Rice can be substituted with bulghur. Lentils and rice are pretty bland fare, on their own. They need a lot of help in the flavor department. I believe what interested me the most when reading the recipes online - particularly the ones written by Lebanese or other Middle Eastern bloggers - is the near lack of any flavorings beyond a little cumin - and a whole boatload of onions. These onions are sauteed until very, very dark; far darker than the norm. These deeply caramelized, nigh on to burnt (but not quite) onions are what provide the absolutely heavenly flavor to the otherwise not too exciting lentils and rice. 

Every cook has their own way of making a thing. Every cook has their own reasoning as to why it should be that way. I have absolutely no argument on method, and depending on the outcome, I may change a method to suit my own lifestyle. And at my age, I look for the simplest way, the fewest steps, the least cleanup possible. I have ranted on that subject here before, so I won't go into it again. But, when it requires three or four different pots or skillets to make one meal, I look immediately  to how that can be simplified. 

Maureen's Cookbook

Maureen Abood, a Lebanese-American lady I have been following for years on her blog, Facebook and with her cookbook called "Rose Water and Orange Blossoms," has recipes amazingly easy to understand. When dealing with an unknown culture, it helps to have someone both knowledgeable in the foods themselves, but also articulate enough to translate that into descriptions that clarify to a person not of that culture. I have some go-to Indian blogs that have fantastic recipes. Some though, assume that one knows what one is doing and so the recipes require some trial and error. And errors happen way too easily, when one "assumes!"

Ultimately, Maureen's recipe is the one that gave me the clearest idea of the whys and the wherefores of making Mujadara, though I had read about 8 recipes online and had already scribbled down two versions of what I thought I would do. 

What is Mujadara?

As mentioned above, Mujadara is a dish of lentils and rice (or bulghur), made with a surfeit of deep, dark, caramelized onions. The onions completely make this dish. Do not stint on the onions. In fact, in one blog, this admonition was followed by the fact that her relatives used twice the amount used in her recipe!

Whenever I research a recipe from a culture that is not mine, I try and stick to recipes from people of that culture. They would certainly know better what it is that makes a dish. Reading recipes from other sources not of the culture, where a slew of additional flavors are added in, either as enhancement or compensation, well, this is, IMHO, trying to change the culture, and there I try instead to remain a purist. 

In all the recipes written by a Middle Eastern (by background and culture, no matter where they live), there were - besides salt and water - just 5 main ingredients: lentils, rice (or bulghur), lots of onions, oil for sauteeing the onions (usually olive oil) and cumin. Period. Amounts may vary. Methods may vary. Ingredients did not vary. 

👀I did opt to parboil the lentils in a separate pan, for the one simple reason that it is best not to salt the lentils while they cook, as this toughens their skins and makes a longer cooking time. 

Ultimately, my Mujadara, though it takes a little while to make, was so very worthwhile. The flavors were sublime. My husband will tolerate lentils, if in the right application. He loved this dish nearly as much as I. I heartily recommend it to anyone. Vegetarians will love it for its complete protein. It is great accompanied by a simple salad, or tomatoes, or a tomato and cucumber salad. Of course, meat to accompany is fine. A dollop of Greek yogurt, or as I used, tzatziki, is also a great flavor combo. 

Mujadara

Mujadara

Serves 8 as a side dish

1 cup brown lentils

1 cup long grain or basmati rice

4 cups water, divided

4 medium onions, divided (more, if desired)

2 - 4 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

Begin with the onions, as these take time. Chop three of the onions. Heat a goodly sized skillet over medium to medium low heat. Add in half the olive oil to heat and then the chopped onions. Stirring often, saute the onions until they are well past simple caramelization, and on into the realm of almost burnt. Sprinkle the salt over the onions while cooking as this helps draw moisture. The darker the onions, the better the flavors in the dish. Towards the end of cooking, add in the  cumin.

Dark Sauteed Onions for Garnish

Once the onions are almost ready, place 2 cups of the water and the lentils into a medium saucepan. Cover and cook for about 12 to 15 minutes. The lentils are just parboiled at this time. Add the contents of the pot, with any liquids remaining, to the onions in the large skillet. Add in the remaining 2 cups of water and the rice. Stir, bring to boil and lower to a simmer. Time for approximately 20 minutes. Leave the lid on and remove the skillet from the heat. Let steam for an additional 10 or 15 minutes if there is time. 

While the lentils and rice cook, heat another, smaller skillet and add the remaining olive oil. Cut the last onion into long slivers or rings and again, saute these until very deep dark in color. Once they are dark enough, pour them out onto paper toweling to absorb excess oil, and to crisp up a bit. Once the Mujadara is ready to serve, use these onions to garnish the dish.

Serve with a salad, a Shirazi salad (cucumber, tomato and onion), sliced tomatoes, a dollop of labneh, plain Greek yogurt, or tzatziki, some mint sprigs or cilantro, and this meal is fit for a king.

My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

Veggie Kebabs as Main or Side Dish

If you love grilled vegetables, then this is a recipe for you. Whether you are vegetarian, or if you want these as a side dish, they have excellent flavor, both from the marinade and from the grill. 

Veggie Kebabs

When I made these, I used a mix of vegetables I had selected just for this application, but you can mix and match as you choose, keeping in mind that not all vegetables cook at the same rate. I used tiny potatoes whole, so I first boiled them and then marinated them to use on the skewer just for the added flavor of the grill. I used chunks of fresh pineapple, obviously not a vegetable but it does taste great on the grill! Bell peppers are an easy choice, and multi colored peppers make the kebabs look more visually appealing. I used hunks of portobello for the meatiness, but button mushrooms or cremini mushrooms would also work - or no mushrooms at all if they are not to your taste. Corn is best cut into small rounds across the cob, both for easy skewering and for quicker cooking, as more heat can reach the kernels. Sweet potato also needs a little cooking beforehand to make them soft enough to grill, just being careful not to over cook or they won't stay put on the skewer. I love grilled onion, so the more the merrier, whether white, yellow or red, and cut into wide enough squares to be comparable in width to the other vegetables on the skewer. 

Gourmet Gardens Italian Herbs

I happened to have on hand at the time a tube of Gourmet Garden Italian Herbs. If you have not used this mixture, it is really great to give flavor to all sorts of foods, whether steaks, baked potatoes, mix into a dressing - just use your imagination. Once you've tasted it, you will think of all kinds of things it would enhance. Our friend Rich is a fanatic about this stuff and has it on hand at all times, for stirring into vegetables, adding to sauces, to spread on pizza, whatever strikes his fancy. 

I tried once to make an approximation of this stuff, and it was okay, but somehow fell just short of the mark, for flavor, despite using fresh herbs to create it. The only actual herbs in this mixture listed on the label are basil, oregano, parsley and rosemary, out of 10 total ingredients, so you may understand why I wanted to go that route of making my own. 

👀My suggestion, if you do not have this ingredient, or choose not to use it because of the many "other" ingredients, would be to substitute a tablespoon of minced fresh basil and rosemary with another dollop of olive oil to approximate - as my recipe already calls for oregano and thyme, garlic, balsamic vinegar and olive oil. 

Veggie Kebabs

Makes about 10 to 16 kebabs, depending on size of skewers

Veggie Kebabs

1 – 2 ears corn, cut into 1½ inch wheels
1 red bell pepper, in 1-inch squares
1 orange bell pepper, cut in 1-inch squares
1 red onion, separated and cut in 1-inch squares
1 zucchini, cut into 1-inch cubes
6 (3-inch) Portobello caps, quartered
15 – 20 tiny 1-inch potatoes, or others, in 1-inch chunks
1 sweet potato, peeled, in 1½-inch cubes
2 cups fresh pineapple, in 1½-inch wedges

MARINADE/SAUCE:

1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 tablespoon fresh chopped oregano
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons Gourmet Garden Italian Herbs 

(or see above 👀)

3 cloves garlic, smashed and minced

Place the potatoes and sweet potato chunks into a small pot and cover with water. Bring to boil, adding 1 teaspoon salt to the water, and boil for about 10 minutes, or until they can just barely be pierced through. Drain and rinse under cold water and set aside to cool.

In a bowl, whisk together the Kosher salt, fresh oregano & thyme, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Italian Herbs paste and garlic. Whisk together and pour over all the vegetables in a large bowl. Toss to coat. Thread the vegetables onto skewers, keeping in mind, if using wooden skewers, they must be soaked for at least 30 minutes before using. When threading the corn, skewer it through the center of the “wheel.” Reserve the marinade aside.

Grill the skewers over a hot grill until they are browned in spots and tender. Brush them with some remaining marinade to serve. Or, remove the vegetables to a bowl to serve, pouring some of the remaining marinade over top.

NOTE: As a party idea, use small wooden skewers, well soaked ahead of time, and thread on just a small few veggies per skewer, Make extra marinade to have for guests to use as a dip or a pouring sauce when serving. As these do not have to be hot for serving, they can be made just slightly in advance, but do not make them so far ahead they need refrigerating, as this significantly changes the flavors.

My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.