Mujaddara

We made Mujaddara sandwiches by filling warm tortillas with the Mujaddara mixture and drizzling the seasoned soy yogurt on top then rolling up.  Either way, it's a filling, flavorful and satisfying meal.

For the Mujaddara
adapted recipe by Rivka http://food52.com/recipes/8565-mujaddara-with-spiced-yogurt

3/4             cup Puy lentils (aka French lentils, the tiny dark brown ones)

            ***We used the precooked lentils from Trader Joe’s

1            teaspoon salt, divided

1            cup jasmine rice

2            tablespoons vegan butter

3            tablespoons olive oil

6            cups onions (about 3 medium onions), halved and thinly sliced

For the Soy Yogurt

1/2            cup plain soy yogurt

1/2            teaspoon cinnamon

1/2            teaspoon cumin (freshly ground, if possible)

1/2            teaspoon coriander (freshly ground)

1/2            teaspoon spicy paprika or Aleppo pepper

3               tablespoons chopped fresh mint

                 juice and zest of half a lemon

1/4            teaspoon salt

Put lentils, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 4 cups water in a large pot and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer lentils until soft but not mushy, about 20 minutes.  Drain lentils and set aside.  Rinse pot.  **If using precooked lentils, just add to the onions, once cooked.

Add rice, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon slat and 1 & 1/2 cups water to the pot, set over medium heat, and bring to a boil.  When water begins to boil, cover pot, transfer to oven, and cook for 17 minutes until perfectly cooked.  Remove from oven, uncover, and fluff with a fork.  Set aside.

While rice cooks, set a wide, deep sauté pan over medium-low heat and add vegan butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil.  When vegan butter has mostly melted, add onions and toss to incorporate with the vegan butter and oil.

After 5 minutes, onions will have softened slightly and started to release their liquid.   Raise heat to medium and cook 10-12 minutes more, until onions are very soft and browned.  Add water by the tablespoon if pan gets too dry or if onions start to stick.  When onions are well browned, add last tablespoons of olive oil and raise heat to high.  Cook another 3-4 minutes, until bottom layer of onions has charred and crisped; try not to stir too much, or onions won’t crisp up.

Combine rice, lentils, and most of the onions in a large serving bowl and let sit for at least 15 minutes, to marry the flavors together.  Test and add more onions, if needed.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together the soy yogurt and spices.