MEJADARRA, MEGADARRA, MUJADARRA
No matter how you spell it, this simple, ancient dish is made in many different versions around the Arab world. All are based on the combination of lentils, rice and fried onions.
In my cookbook collection Claudia Roden, Yotam Ottolenghi and various others offer riffs on the theme. The following is a gluten-free adaptation of Ottolenghi’s version.
The great thing about Mejadarra is that, while it’s excellent served straight from the pot, it’s also very good at room temperature, so it’s ideal if you’re taking it on a picnic, feeding a lot of people, or when you need to prepare food well in advance.
It’s traditionally served with plain yogurt but a yogurt, mint and cucumber mix is good too.
Jan.
MEJADARRA
250 gm green lentils
4 medium onions
3 tablespoons brown rice flour
250 ml grapeseed oil, a little extra if necessary
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1½ tablespoons coriander seeds
200 gm aged basmati rice
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
1½ teaspoons ground allspice
1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
1½ teaspoons caster sugar
Sea salt and plenty of black pepper
700 ml water
Aleppo Pepper or chilli flakes (optional), to garnish
Place lentils in a saucepan and cover with plenty of water. Bring to the boil and cook for 12 -15 minutes until the lentils have softened but still have a bite to them. Drain and reserve.
Peel, halve and slice the onions thinly into moons. Scatter them over a tray and sprinkle with a teaspoon of salt and the rice flour, massaging the flour into the onions with your hands.
In a large pan, bring the grapeseed oil to a high heat. To test if it’s hot enough, toss a little bit of onion into the pan – it should bubble immediately. Reduce the heat to medium and fry a third of the onions at a time, stirring with a slotted spoon for 5-7 minutes until the onions are brown and crisp. Transfer to a plate lined with absorbent paper. Repeat with remaining onions adding more oil if necessary. Set aside.
Add the olive oil to a large saucepan and on a medium heat fry the cumin and coriander seeds for a minute or two. Add the rice, turmeric, allspice, cinnamon, sugar and salt and pepper. Stir to coat the rice with the oil and fry for another minute or two.
Add the cooked lentils and water and bring to the boil. Cover and cook on low heat for 15 minutes, adding a little more water if the rice is too dry. Remove from the heat, lift the lid, cover with a clean tea towel and replace the lid. Stand for 10 minutes.
Finally, add half the fried onion to the rice and lentils, stirring with a fork. Pile onto a serving platter and top with the rest of the onion and a scattering of Aleppo Pepper or chilli flakes.