Mujaddara is known to appear in cookbooks as far back as 1226. Though legend places it back much further. Possibly the dish Jacob used to buy Esau's birthright. It's that good. Oh come on Esau, it's like 3 ingredients. Your birthright? Really?
We serve this hot, room temp, or cold making it a perfect pack along meal. I've caught Fly Guy hiding behind the fridge door piling it cold on tortilla chips more than once. "Tortilla chips, your are desecrating my food!" I recommend Naan.
Mujaddara with Sumac
Ingredients
3 TB coconut or olive oil and 1 TB butter*
2-3 large yellow onions thinly sliced
1 tsp salt
1 cup brown or white jasmine rice (I've also used plain long grain brown or white)
1 cup brown or green lentils
salt and pepper to taste
serve with condiment bowls of sumac**, plain yogurt, and possibly mint. If you don't have sumac try lemon wedges and paprika. Fresh chopped parsley also works if your fresh out of everything else.
*Vegan's can leave the butter out. It just adds a slight richness to the dish.
**I found a bag of sumac in the middle eastern section of my grocery store for less than $3. It's leaves a nice lemony vinegar taste on your tongue and is a nice alternative to a salt shaker on the table. I think I will fill an old tic tac container with it next time I send this dish in Fly Guy's lunch.
Directions:
Cook rice according to package directions.
While rice is cooking warm oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
Toss in the sliced onions and a tsp salt. While it looks like a lot of onion it cooks way down and gets quite sweet.
Cook onions for 20-30 minutes until they start to turn golden and sweet. If they begin to burn turn down the heat. My stove doesn't get very hot...
Meanwhile cook lentils in a separate pan according to package directions.
When onions are finished add the drained cooked lentils and cooked rice to the pan. Salt, pepper, and incorporate.
Keep your birthright, you earned it.
