Mujadara Hamra Lentils Bulgur Food

MUJADARA HAMRA

Steps:

• Chop the onions and add them to a pan with the olive oil, sprinkle with a little salt
• Sauté on medium heat for at least 20 minutes until they turn dark brown (but not burnt!) The more you brown them the more savoury the flavour
• Stand back and slowly add enough boiled water to just cover the onions (it will splutter!) and squish them down with the back of a wooden spoon
• Add just under 1 tablespoon of salt and bring to the boil, cover and simmer on low heat for ten minutes
• Add the lentils and the cold water, turn up the heat until it starts to bubble then reduce the heat to low and leave to cook for around another half hour until the lentils are cooked
• Add the bulgur wheat and simmer for another 15 minutes.
• When the bulgur wheat has soaked up most of the liquid, adjust the salt as necessary, turn off the heat and add a dash of olive oil
• Serve with a side salad or a helping of plain yoghurt

MUJADARA HAMRA (LENTILS & BULGUR)

Steps:

• Check lentils for stones that need to be discarded
• Wash and soak for a couple of hours (I do this to speed up the cooking process)
• After soaking lentils, discard and wash lentils to rid any excess sediment
• Place lentils in a large pot with water, bring to boil
• Cover the pot of lentils and simmer over low heat about 10 minutes or until lentils are par cooked.
• Drain par cooked lentils in a colander and save liquid. You will use this later
• Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat
• Cook the onions for about 30-40 minutes, stirring every few minutes until they are dark golden brown. (You'll need to be patient for this step - the onions must be like this as the dish relies on the taste of the caramelised onion)
• Once onions are a dark golden colour, pour the liquid from the lentils into the onions and let it simmer for a couple of minutes to combine.
• Add the cooked lentils, salt (to taste) and cracked wheat (bulgur), stir through thoroughly.
• Cover the saucepan and cook over very low heat for 25-30 minutes.

BULGUR MUJADARA

Steps:

• Make the mujadara: Bring lentils and 4 cups of water to a boil in a medium pot over high. Reduce heat to low and simmer until lentils are partly cooked, 12 to 18 minutes. Taste a lentil to see if it's tender but still has a bite. The timing depends on the lentil variety: Black and le Puy need the most time; green needs the least. Remove from heat.
• Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a medium frying pan over medium-high. Add the onions and cook, stirring regularly, until deep golden brown and starting to crisp, 15 to 20 minutes. It is important to get them to this point because dark onions give mujadara its distinctive dark color and flavor. Onions go from deep brown to burned very quickly, so be sure to remove from the heat before they burn.
• Pour the onions with the oil over the lentils, and stir in the salt and cumin. Add the bulgur, bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to lowest setting and simmer, covered, until fully cooked, 10 to 15 minutes. Check on the mujadara periodically: If the bulgur and lentils are not fully cooked but the water has evaporated, add a few tablespoons of water and continue to cook until done. Place a tea towel or paper towels under the lid and let sit for 15 minutes.
• If you are making the optional topping, prepare it while the mujadara rests: Heat about 1 inch vegetable oil in a small saucepan over medium to 350 degrees or until a small morsel of bread bubbles and immediately rises to the top. Cut the onion in half and slice through the core to create very thin crescents. Place onions in a medium bowl, sprinkle with the cornstarch and toss to combine. Working in small batches, carefully add to hot oil and fry, stirring occasionally for even browning, until crisp and golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels until dry and crispy, about 2 minutes.
• To serve, transfer mujadara to a serving platter and top with crispy onions, if using.