MUJADDARA WITH THE WRONG GRAIN

FL0002: NO HARD FEELINGS
January 1, 2023

Cooking through Falastin over the past week in between long runs through chilly Brooklyn has felt exhilarating – the smugness of getting away with it, expending calories in the winter by choice and and eating leafy summer vegetables and fresh Mediterranean herbs when the sun is setting at 4:30 every afternoon.

Sami Tamimi’s mujaddara recipe in that book is perfect as written (same for the one in Reem Assil’s Arabiyya). This is neither of those recipes; please buy their books for the real thing.

This recipe subs buckwheat for rice but that’s not because it’s meant to be optimal – it’s because I ran out of rice one day but had plenty of kasha. I didn’t “develop” this; it’s just a thing that happened one time.

Goal: Out with the right, in with the wrong
Serves: 6-8
Leftover strategy: Make a picnic-style grain salad in the manner of the insalata di riso we made with FL014’s leftover Louisiana popcorn rice…but get all the mix-ins from Tashkent

YOU WILL NEED

  • 4 tablespoons olive oil (2 tablespoons for caramelizing the onions, 2 tablespoons for cooking the mujaddara)

  • 1 large onion

  • 1 1/2 cups green lentils

  • 2 teaspoons cumin seeds

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baharat (or a similar blend of warming spices, like ras el hanout or garam masala)

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

  • 1 1/2 cups kasha (or rice, or a mix of both)

  • 3 cups water

  • salt and black pepper to taste

  • optional toppings: yogurt, herbs, the haunting Kavkaz salad/salsa from Tashkent Supermarket in Brighton Beach

 

WHAT TO DO

First, start caramelizing the onion for the topping: peel and halve one large onion through the stem and root, then slice it thinly along the grain. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet and saute the onion over medium-high heat until golden brown and sweet, salting it lightly and stirring often. This will take about 30 minutes total; do it while everything else is cooking.

Meanwhile, add the green lentils to a pot with 6 cups of water and 1 tablespoon of kosher salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the lentils are tender but not yet falling apart. Drain and set aside.

When the lentils are done, heat a dry, high-sided skillet or dutch oven over medium-high heat and add the cumin seeds. Toast until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil along with the coriander, baharat, turmeric and cinnamon and let the spices wake up in the hot oil for a few seconds. Add the kasha (or rice) and sauté to coat the grains in the oil and spices. Add the water along with 2-3 teaspoons* kosher salt and black pepper to taste, then stir in the cooked lentils. Bring to a medium-angry boil. Reduce the heat to very low, cover the pan, and let cook undisturbed for 10 minutes.

Turn off the heat and let sit, still covered, for another 10 minutes to finish steaming. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.

Serve topped with the caramelized onions and any or all of the options.

* you can confidently use 3 teaspoons (i.e., 1 tablespoon) if the salt is Diamond Crystal brand; start with 2 teaspoons for other brands and adjust upward as needed