Mujaddara

My sister and I have been reminiscing about our belated grandmother over the Christmas holidays, sharing memories and recollections of our summers at her Mamlouky house in the old quarters of Damascus. Tete Amneh was one of those grandmothers a lucky child would be blessed to have. She was loving, caring, giving, nurturing, patient and selfless. She made sure we were loved, happy, attended to, fed and enjoying being children, a gift she was never afforded as a child orphaned at the age of 8 taking care of her two siblings and growing up during the depression era. This is what made tete Amneh the umbrella that protected everyone she loved.

Everyone loved tete, who was the mother that glued our big family together. The first day of Eid was always a full house of over 50 relatives from 4 generations. All the ladies would roll up their sleeves and start preparing simple, inexpensive delectable dishes. Mujadara, Mutabal, babaghanouge, hummus, fasuliah bil zait, bulgur banadoura, fried vegetables, Abu Shalhoub, radish salad and more, some of which I have already shared with you and others I will be in due course. Tete Amneh passed away 30 years ago on. Her legacy continues to live one way or another through those who were touched by her blessing. I have been kindling her legacy by honouring her dishes and sharing them with you.

I can’t stress enough the health benefits of lentil dishes, they are indeed a healthy option at the table. It has Low glycaemic index GI, which means it helps maintain and steady blood sugar level. It is rich in fibre, enabling lower cholesterol, not to mention that it supports the digestive system by preventing constipation but remember to drink enough water. It is high in protein, folate, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, zinc, potassium, B1 and B6.

The saying "small but mighty" surely applies to this tiny holy grain. This recipe is quick, light and delicious. Please try my Vegan lentil kibbeh nayyeh and my traditional lentil soup and my swift fix vegan cabbage and lentil curry if you are a lentil lover or vegan.

Servings: 5

Preparation Time: 40 minutes

Start to finish: 1 hour

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

2 cups short-grain rice soaked in warm water for a minimum 1 hour

1/3 cup dry brown or green lentils

3 to 4 big onions, sliced 1/2" thick

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

salt to taste

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Method:

· Rinse the lentils in cold water before cooking.

· Put the lentils in a pot with 750 ml of water and boil until cooked but still a bit hard, al dente. Drain and reserve the liquid.

· Heat the olive oil in a frypan on low to medium and add the onions. Fry occasionally stirring until caramelised and golden brown, (around 20 minutes) then drain and reserve the oil.

· Wash the rice 4 to 5 times under cold water to get rid of the starch and drain.

· Now pour some of the onion oil in a pot on medium heat and add the rice, stir for a minute and add 1/2 the fried onions and 2 cups of the lentil water, lentils and season with salt and pepper. Add hot water if you don’t have enough lentil liquid.

· Cook on medium heat until the rice is cooked, and the liquid has evaporated about 15 to 20 minutes.

· Take off the fire and cover the pot with a kitchen towel and let it rest 5 minutes. This will help to make the rice fluffy.

· Plate on a serving dish and garnish with the rest of the fried onions.

Per Serving : 554 Calories; 22g Fat (36.3% calories from fat); 10g Protein; 78g Carbohydrate; 8g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 5mg Sodium.