Brown Rice Mujaddara

Ingredients

• 1 cup basmati brown rice - أرز بسمتى بنى
• 1.5 brown lentils - عدس بني
• 4 tablespoons olive oil (divided)) - زيت زيتون
• 4 onions (1 diced + 3 sliced) - بصل
• 2 bay leaves - ورق لاورا
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin - كمون
• 1 cinnamon sticks - عيدان قرفة
• salt and pepper - ملح و فلفل
• 2 cup hot water (you can also use broth) - ماء ساخن
• 2 tablespoon parsley (finely chopped) - بقدونس
• 1 tablespoon mint (finely chopped - optional) - نعناع

Step by step

1. Wash basmati brown rice under running water then soak it in water for only 30 minutes.
2. In the meantime, wash the lentils under running water and place them in a small pot covered with water. Bring it to the boil, then lower heat to a simmer and cover. Let it cook for only 10 minutes.
3. In larger pot, heat olive oil and fry diced onions until golden. Add bay leaves, cumin and cinnamon stick followed by the drained rice.
4. Stir to cover the rice with the oil and spices then add the drained half-cooked lentils, followed by 2 cups of hot water. Season with salt and pepper.
5. As it comes to a boil, lower heat and cover. Let it simmer for 25 minutes until cooked through.
6. In the meantime, heat two tablespoons olive oil in large pan. Add sliced onions, salt and pepper and stir occasionally for 30 minutes until onions are browned and caramelized.
7. As the rice lentil mix is cooked-through, stir in half the fried onions and keep the rest for garnish.
8. Serve in a bowl, and garnish with the chopped parsley and mint. Consider preparing a simple tomato-cucumber salad next to it.