Middle Eastern Spiced Lentil and Rice (Mejadra)

Mejadra is a fragrant Middle Eastern rice pilaf that is SO GOOD you can – and will want to – eat it on its own! Mejadra is an ancient dish that is hugely popular throughout the Arab world. It’s a fragrant aromatic spiced rice (but not spicy) combined with sweet crunchy onion. This version is slightly adapted from a Yotam Ottolenghi recipe, from his wonderful cookbook Jerusalem. The main difference is that he uses dried lentils, while this recipe uses canned brown lentils.

Ingredients for Mejadra

To prepare this authentic dish, you will need the following ingredients:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup basmati or long grain rice, uncooked
• 400g / 14 oz canned brown lentils, drained
• 1 1/4 cup / 315 ml water
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt and Black pepper

Spices and Aromatics

The following spices provide the signature flavor profile of the dish:

Spice	Quantity
Cumin seeds (or ground cumin)	2 tsp (or 1 tsp ground)
Coriander seeds (or ground coriander)	1 1/2 tbsp (or 1 1/2 tsp ground)
Ground turmeric	1/2 tsp
Ground cinnamon	1 1/2 tsp

Crispy Fried Onions

• 3 large or 4 small onions, very finely sliced
• 1 cup / 250 ml vegetable or sunflower oil
• Salt

Step-by-Step Cooking Instructions

You make your own fried onion in the authentic version, and it’s worth the effort when you have time on your hands. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Add about 1/3 of the onions and cook for 5 minutes until golden and crispy. Drain on paper towels.

Next, prepare the rice and lentil base:

1. Put the olive oil, cumin seeds and coriander in a saucepan over medium heat.
2. Cook for a couple of minutes until the spices are fragrant.
3. Add the rice and stir to coat with the oil and spices.
4. While it comes to boil, add all the other spices, salt and pepper.
5. When it comes to a boil, turn it down to medium-low, cover with lid and let cook for 10 to 12 minutes, or until all the liquid has mostly been absorbed.
6. Remove from heat and let it rest for 10 minutes - during this time, any residual liquid will absorb.
7. Fluff rice with a fork and adjust the seasoning with more salt if you wish.
8. Just prior to serving, stir through most of the onions and top with remainder.

Important Notes and Alternatives

Different rices and brands require different ratios of rice to water. Typically for long grain and basmati rice it is 1 cup of rice to 1 1/2 cups of water, but you should check the package instructions. Whatever the water quantity is, reduce it by 1/4 cup. This is because this recipe uses canned lentils which, although you drain it, adds to the liquid while cooking. If you do not reduce the quantity of water, the rice turns out wetter than it should.

ALTERNATIVE: If you don’t have time, a near perfect substitute is store bought crunchy Fried Shallots which nowadays you can purchase from the Asian section of most grocery stores. I really think it tastes almost as good! Because this rice has such a wonderful flavour in itself, you can make a complete meal by serving just a simple piece of grilled fish or other protein, or even vegetables on the side. A dollop of yoghurt, a sprinkle of herbs and dinner is served!