this is for the professor

dear friends but especially, prof. tata:

long awaited - the recipe for what is commonly referred to as the lentil/rice/onion delight. however, a few people (including my mother and mostly all other lebanese people) called it mujadra.

here is what you need:
2 cups brown lentils (or those small black ones which are really good. i have been using those lately)
1/2 cup rice (i use brown but you can use white)
4 cups water
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp allspice
salt and pepper to taste
about 6 onions (or more if you are feeling really funky)
lotsa olive oil

this is the easiest thing on earth to prepare.

washing the lentils and rice are essential. wash first, cook later.

boil the water. add the lentils and rice at the same time if you are using brown rice. cover and lower the heat. (if you are using white, add it to the pot after 15 minutes). let cook for 15 minutes. add the cumin and allspice and salt. stir and cover, cooking on low heat until the lentils and rice are cooked and there is no water left. (if you find that the lentils/rice arent cooked but there is no water left - do not fear. add a bit more as you go).

here is the trick - IMMEDIATELY AFTER you start cooking, cut all of the onions into thin strips. in a large pan with a bunch of oil, cook the onions on low heat until they are brown and basically caramelized. they should be super soft. this will take awhile (at least 40 minutes). you may even want to start on this first, depending on how proactive you are feeling or how hungry you are.

serve with the succulent onions over top of the lentils.

for the "true experience", serve this with chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, mint springs, pita (for scooping - no forks allowed for this dish) and labne. you could also make a yogurt sauce with chopped cucumber, mint, and black pepper.

there you have it, folks.

this makes a lot of lentils and is good for leftovers. if you want less food (weird?), cut it in half.