Mujaddarah Recipe

Here's a recipe for Mujaddarah.  This is a Syrian lentil and rice dish that also very popular in Palestine.  It's a vegetarian dish and is good with a little plain yogurt.  You can serve it with a tomato and cucumber salad. 

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 2 14-ounce cans vegetable broth
• 3/4 cup dried lentils, rinsed, picked over
• 3/4 cup basmati rice
• 1 large onions, sliced

Preparation:

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion and next 4 ingredients; sauté until onion softens, about 4 minutes. Add broth and lentils; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, 10 minutes. Stir in rice; return to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and cook until liquid is absorbed and rice and lentils are tender, about 15 minutes longer. Add water to mixture if the rice is not cooked and the mixture gets too dry.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sliced onions; sauté until soft and beginning to blacken, about 20 minutes.

Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to plates, top with blackened onions and yogurt.