Mejadra

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 4 m.-sized onion(s)
• 3 tbsp flour
• Salt
• 500 ml oil for frying
• 250 g lentils, green or brown
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 ½ tsp coriander seeds
• 200 g basmati rice
• ½ tsp turmeric
• 1 ½ tsp all-spice
• 1 ½ tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 350 ml water
• 250 g whole milk yogurt
• 1 tbsp mint, dried
• 1 dashes lemon juice

Instructions

Working time approx. 20 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 50 minutes

Oriental rice and lentil dish with yogurt sauce and fried onions

Cook the lentils in plenty of water until al dente, then pour into a sieve. Peel the onions and slice into thin rings. On a large platter, dust the onion rings with flour and season with salt. Heat the oil in a small saucepan to 170°C and fry the onions in batches until golden brown. Drain the rings on kitchen paper and season with salt again. In a larger saucepan, briefly toast the crushed cumin and coriander seeds. Add the rice, the remaining spices, and the olive oil and fry briefly. Then add the lentils and pour in 350ml of water. Simmer the rice with the lid on until tender. Remove the pan from the heat and let the rice rest for a few minutes. Meanwhile, mix the yogurt with the mint and lemon juice. Mix half of the onions into the rice. Serve the lentil rice with the yogurt sauce and the remaining onions.