On Aug 15, 4:23*am, Victor Sack > wrote:
> wrote:
>
> > Has anyone tried cooking lentils and rice together ? *
> > In a rice cooker ? *On the stove ? *
> > Timing ? *Proportions of liquid to solids ?
>
> Check out mejeddarah (mujaddara, megadarra, moudardarah, etc.,
> transliteration varies). The dish is also known as Potage Esau,
> for which Esau supposedly sold his birthright. *The dish is
> supposed to be cooked with no rice, just with lentils or with an
> addition of bulgur, as rice was unknown in the Middle East in
> the biblical times, but nowadays it is often made with rice. A
> somewhat similar dish in India is known as khichri. *Proportions
> of ingredients vary according to individual preferences, as do
> cooking times, which depend on the texture one prefers. *The
> dish can also be made in a pressure cooker. Here is a typical
> recipe from
> <http://www.cookingwiththebible.com/reader/Default.aspx/GR3410-306/rec...>
> If sumac is unavailable, I'd replace it with cumin.
>
> * * * * * * Mejeddarah (Lentils with Rice)
>
> 2 cups lentils (about 1 lb.)
> 8 cups water
> 2 large Spanish onions, chopped
> 1/2 cup olive oil, plus a splash
> 2 Tbsp. sumac
> 1 cup brown (or white) rice, uncooked
> salt and pepper to taste
>
> Sort through the lentils to remove any small stones that might
> have gotten mixed in during the drying process. Wash thoroughly,
> and drain in a colander. Place lentils in a large pot with the
> water and bring to a boil; lower the heat and continue to cook
> for about 15 minutes.
>
> Meanwhile, saute the onions in the olive oil and sumac until
> they begin to caramelize. Add uncooked rice, onions, and pan
> residue to the lentils. Continue cooking about 45 minutes until
> lentils are barely mushy, stirring occasionally. Season to taste.
>
> Serve hot or cold.
>
> Yield: 8 servings
>
> --
> Victor

OK I'll chime in, since mujaddarah is my family's home-cooking soul
food (the Lebanese half of my family, that is).

Victor's recipe looks pretty good. However, I would make one simple,
crucial change:

Only add HALF the cooked onions to the lentils with the uncooked rice.
Time it so that the onions are nice and golden but not caramelized yet
when you're ready to add the rice. Half the onions go in with the
rice, to cook, and then the other half of the onions continue to cook
in the second skillet until caramelized. Serve the remaining onions on
the top of the mujaddarah after you've turned it out on a plate. I.e.,
the super caramelized onions are garnish. Also, drizzle with olive
oil.

On the timing. If you are using white rice, then here's the timing -
give the lentils total of 45 minutes to an hour. (Green or brown flat
lentils sometimes take that long for me, I don't know why. Old maybe?
I buy them frequently). The white rice only needs like twenty minutes.
Don't cook white rice 45 minutes! Gak!

If you are using brown rice then it should go in with the lentils at
the same time.

If you are using burghul (bulgar) wheat, then that should go in about
20 minutes before the end, like for white rice.

My family used burghul (which they grew and processed themselves until
about 45 years ago). Rice is for refined city people! I like the
texture of mjaddarah with white rice much, much better even though
it's not as wholesome or "authentic".

Now, to talk about cooking lentils with rice in a cooker - another
story entirely. I figure about a quarter cup lentils to one cup rice,
and I measure out the water using the particular rice package's
instructions (they vary on water recommendation). Then I add about 3/4
water for the lentils, i.e. 3:1 proportion - they need more room to
expand. A bouillon cube, or stock instead of water, makes all the
difference, and you'll want a fat in there like butter or olive oil.
This makes a pilaf that has some lentils in it, not a gluey mjaddarah
concoction. This is just super simple. Spice as you wish. The Indian
trick of sauteeing onions with say, cumin seed and sprinkling that
over the rice is similar to what I suggest with mjaddarah. It's
yummy. You could also garnish with toasted almond slivers or pine
nuts, currants, and/or bits of ground meat sauteed with onions and
spices.

Or you could stud the pilaf with bits of leftover chicken or other
meat. Tricks to further leftovers.

Serve this with pickle as a condiment, for digestion. Pickles are good
for you, it turns out.

Good luck!

Leila