Mealtime: Mejadra

For this edition of mealtime I decided to make Mejadra. For those that do not know, Mejadra is a rice and lentils dish spiced with cumin, coriander, and fried onions. The rice and lentils are cooked together with the spices, and garnished with the fried onions. It is a common dish from the Levant region and is a great dish for  the vegetarian in your life. It is a great dish for vegetarians because it is a flavorful dish as well as a source of protein coming from the lentils. It also makes a great side dish for roast chicken, schnitzel, or kebabs from the grill. It is easy to make so I hope you give it a try.

Ingredients:
1 cup of rice
1 cup of green lentils
one onion
two cloves of garlic
salt
pepper
curry powder
olive oil
2 cups of water

Method:
When cooking rice, I like to rinse it and soak it for about 10 minutes. The lentils on the other hand do not need to be soaked so you may add them to the pot without soaking. In a pot, add olive oil and toast the rice until the rice is beginning to become fragrant. Once the rice is fragrant, add the lentils, curry powder, pepper, and water. Give the rice and lentils a stir so that the seasoning is mixed throughout. I used curry powder in the Mejadra because it already contains the traditional spices cumin and coriander which are used to make the dish. When the water comes to a boil, lower the heat to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes stirring occasionally. While the lentils and rice are cooking, slice a onion and chop the garlic. In a saute pan, fry the onions. When the onions because crispy, add the garlic. Cook for another two minutes or until the garlic is fragrant and soft. Add salt and pepper to the onion and garlic to finish the garnish. When the rice and lentils are done cooking, add some salt to taste. You do not want to add salt at the beginning of the cooking process because the salt will toughen the lentils. To serve, place the rice and lentils on a plate topped with the crispy fried onions. Like I said before it is a great dish to serve as is to your vegetarian friends, or as a side dish to schnitzel or kebabs. You can never have enough ways to serve and cook rice so give it a try. You will be transported to the Middle East for sure once you try it. Enjoy!