Mujaddara

Mujaddara, the rice and beans of the Middle East, is a hearty one-dish vegetarian rice and lentil pilaf containing large brown or green lentils and crispy fried onion strings. For the pilaf, we found that precooking the lentils and soaking the rice in hot water before combining them ensured that both components cooked evenly. We pare down the typically fussy process of batch-frying onions in several cups of oil to a single batch of onions fried in just 1 1/2 cups of oil. The trick: removing a good bit of the onions’ water before frying by tossing them with salt, microwaving them for 5 minutes, and drying them thoroughly.

Do not substitute smaller French lentils for the green or brown lentils. When preparing the Crispy Onions, be sure to reserve 3 tablespoons of the onion cooking oil for cooking the rice and lentils.

CRISPY ONIONS
It is crucial to thoroughly dry the microwaved onions after rinsing. The best way to accomplish this is to use a salad spinner. Reserve 3 tablespoons of oil when draining the onions to use in Rice and Lentils. Remaining oil may be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated up to 4 weeks.

2 pounds onions, halved and sliced into ¼-inch-thick pieces
2 tsp salt
1½ cups vegetable oil

Toss onions and salt together in a large bowl. Microwave for 5 minutes. Rinse thoroughly. Drain and then transfer to a salad spinner. Spin as much water as possible from the onions. Using paper towels and your hands, continue to squeeze as much water from the onions as possible. Heat vegetable oil on high in a Dutch oven until the oil begins to shimmer. Add onions and stir frequently until onions turn golden brown (25 – 30 minutes). Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with paper towels. Remove onions from the Dutch oven with a slotted spoon, transferring them to the baking sheet in one even layer. 
Drain remaining oil through a fine mesh strainer, reserving it for latter.

YOGURT SAUCE
1 cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt 
2 tablespoons lemon juice
½ teaspoon minced garlic
½ teaspoon salt

Place yogurt in a fine-mesh strainer and set strainer over a large bowl. Strain for 1 hour.
Transferring yogurt to a medium bowl, whisk in the remaining ingredients. Refrigerate while preparing the rest of the dish.

RICE & LENTILS
1¼ cups green or brown lentils, picked through for stones and rinsed
1¼ cups basmati rice
1 recipe Crispy Onions, plus 3 TBS reserved oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground allspice
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp sugar
4 tablespoons fresh cilantro, minced

Bring lentils, 4 cups water, and 1 tsp salt to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat to low and cook until lentils are tender (15 – 17 minutes). Drain and set aside. While the lentils are cooking, place rice in a medium bowl and cover by 2 inches with hot tap water (allow to stand for 15 minutes).

Using your hands, gently wish the rice to release excess starch. Carefully pour off water, leaving rice in bowl. Add cold tap water, swish, pour, and repeat until the water runs nearly clear. Drain rice through a fine-mesh strainer.

Heat reserved oil, garlic, coriander, cumin, cinnamon, allspice, ¼ tsp pepper, and cayenne in Dutch oven over medium heat until fragrant (about 2 minutes). Add rice and cook, stirring occasionally until the rice begins to turn translucent (about 3 minutes).

Add 2¼ cups water, sugar, and 1 tsp salt. Bring to a boil. Stir in lentils, reduce heat to low, cover and cook until all the liquid is absorbed (about 12 minutes). 

Remove Dutch oven from heat, fold a dishtowel in half, place over pot, replace lid and let stand for 10 minutes. Fluff rice and lentils with fork. Stir in cilantro and half the onions. Serve with the remaining onions and yogurt sauce as a garnish.