Back in the late eighties I was living in North Sydney. Most days I’d go down to the local Lebanese takeaway booth and buy a felafel roll. Very yum it was too. Not surprisingly after a couple of years of this I became friendly with the owner. One day, instead of my normal felafel roll, he offered me some of his own lunch … it was a lentil and rice dish topped with caramelised onions. I loved it. It was only years latter that I discovered it is called Majadrah. I began to make it for myself. It is a hit with both Galit and our 3 year old daughter.
Majadrah - Lentils, Rice and Onions
Ingredients
- 250 grams large green or brown lentils rinsed
- 1 litre water
- 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 800 grams onions about 4 large ones, cut in half and sliced
- salt and pepper
- 250 grams long-grain rice
Instructions
- Bring lentils and water to the boil in a covered pot
- Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes (don't salt them yet - it'll keep them hard)
- Fry the onions in oil in a large pan over a low heat for about 20 minutes.
- Remove half to add to the lentils.
- Turn up the heat to medium/high and fry the remaining onions until almost caramelised.
- Use as garnish
- Add the rice and half the onions to the lentils.
- Cook, covered, for another 20 minutes
- Service on a large dish garnished with the caramelised onion