Sumac Terrace · Main dishes

Lentils and Rice with Crispy Onions

Name: Lentils and Rice with Crispy Onions
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 250 g Dried brown lentils; 200 g Long grain rice; 3 whole Onion; 60 ml Olive oil; 1 tsp Ground cumin; 0.25 tsp Ground cinnamon; 1 tsp Salt; 0.5 tsp Black pepper; 900 ml Water, for the rice; 1 whole Lemon; 10 g Fresh flat-leaf parsley

Brown lentils and long-grain rice cooked in the same pot, topped with a pile of onions fried in olive oil until deeply brown. A vegetarian main, finished with lemon and parsley.

55 minutes · Easy · 4 servings

Original house recipe · Not yet kitchen-tested

Ingredients

Dried brown lentils250 g
Long grain rice200 g
Onion3 whole
Olive oil60 ml
Ground cumin1 tsp
Ground cinnamon0.25 tsp
Salt1 tsp
Black pepper0.5 tsp
Water, for the rice900 ml
Lemon1 whole
Fresh flat-leaf parsley10 g

Quantities describe recipe usage, not package sizes.

Allergen notes

None of the measured ingredients are a major allergen. Check lentil and spice labels.

Method

Cook the lentils

Rinse the lentils. Put them in a saucepan with 600 ml of the water and half the salt. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15–18 minutes, until just tender but not falling apart. Drain and save the cooking liquid. You want about 400 ml; add water from the remaining measured water if you are short.

Fry the onions

Slice the onions thinly. Warm the olive oil in a wide skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and a pinch of the remaining salt. Cook, stirring often, for 15–20 minutes, until they are deep golden brown and crisp at the edges. Lift them out with a slotted spoon onto a plate. Leave the oil in the skillet.

Cook the rice

Rinse the rice. Return the skillet to medium heat. Stir the cumin and cinnamon into the onion oil for 20 seconds. Add the rice and stir for 1 minute. Add the drained lentils, 400 ml of the lentil liquid and the remaining salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook on low for 15 minutes. Take it off the heat and rest, covered, for 10 minutes.

Serve

Fluff the lentils and rice. Pile the crispy onions on top with chopped parsley and lemon wedges. This is the vegetarian main: there is no meat in the pot.

The onions need a wide pan and patience. If they crowd and steam, they soften but never brown. Pull the lentils while they still have a shape; they finish cooking with the rice.

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