Cheater’s Mujadara
This is the basic recipe based on the traditional flavours but it can go in many directions depending on what you feel like: spice it up with chilis or harissa, throw in some garlic, melt some spinach in, add mushrooms, roasted red peppers or bits of tempeh. If you're not vegan: add a fried egg on top, or melt little chunks of feta into the mixture....the options are endless.
You can also use this basic mix to fill vegan Cabbage Rolls or Stuffed Peppers.
- 4 tablespoons neutral oil (we used sunflower)
- 2 small onions (peeled, cut in half and thinly sliced into half moons)
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup onions (peeled and chopped)
- 1 can lentils (398ml can, drained and rinsed)
- 1 cup cooked rice (we used brown)
- salt & pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon olive oil (use your best one here to drizzle)
- fresh parsley (chopped)
- Frying the onions
Heat the neutral oil over medium-high heat in a pan or a wok and fry the thinly sliced onions until brown and crispy, about 10 minutes. Don't walk away from this, they go from perfect to burned very quickly.
Using a slotted spoon, lift the onions out and set them aside until later in the recipe. Do not throw out the oil! That onion-infused oil is fabulous on hummus, avocado, in a salad dressing or as a dip for focaccia.
- Everything else
Heat the 2t olive oil in a frying pan over medium-low heat and saute the chopped onions until translucent. Add salt and pepper.
Turn the heat up to medium and add the lentils, rice and cumin. Mix well and cook until everything is warmed through. Add half of the reserved crispy onions and mix again.
Drizzle with a little of your best olive oil (or the onion-infused oil) and sprinkle with the remaining crispy onions and chopped parsley.
