Majadra is an ideal vegetarian dish. A staple in every household in Israel as well as the entire Middle East.
Majadra – Rice and Lentils
Servings
Ingredients
- 1 cup green lentils brown lentils
- 1 1/2 cups long grain rice basmati
- 2 medium/large onions diced
- Salt
- Black pepper freshly ground
- Water
- 2-4 tablespoons canola oil
- 3-3 1/2 cups water reserved from lentil water
Instructions
- Rinse rice to rid of impurities and starch and let it drain in a sieve. Rinse lentils in cold water, add to a pot, cover with 4 cups of water, bring to a boil, turn down and cook on low/medium until soft, but still retaining their shape. Save 3 1/2* cups of the lentil water liquid for the rice and drain lentils thoroughly. On medium heat saute onions in 2-4 tablespoons of canola oil until soft and translucent and add the rice to the onions. Continue sauteing rice and onions while mixing gently for few minutes. Add 3 cups of reserved water from lentils, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Gently mix lentils in with the rice and immediately reduce heat to low, cover with a lid and cook until liquid evaporates. If you feel it needs more liquid as the lentils absorb some as well, sprinkle some of the leftover 1/2 cup of lentil water over the rice. Cook on low covered until all liquid is absorbed. Let sit for 10-20 minutes with lid on if you got time or serve immediately. Great reheated the next day as well. Serve vegetable or chicken skewers.
- *Cook’s note:
- If you do not have 3 1/2 cups of reserved liquid left from lentil water you can add regular water.
Hi Jamie, Maybe you could add a few to this modest list and bring back the Dairy Nights. For those unaware of preparation, a recipe would be helpful.
As a 50’s and 60’s school kid, Mondays and Thursdays were dairy nights, featuring meals like the ones listed
• Spinach b’Jibn* w/eggs & Cheese
• Kusa b’Jibn* Squash w/Eggs & Cheese
• Mujedrah Lenti+ Rice w/Carmelied Oniions • • Eggplant Parmigiana baked
• Cascasoon w’Rishta recently Shavuot only
• Mini-pizza pies on 2-1/2 round dough
• Spaghetti with a simple tomato sauce
• Vegetable Chow Mein w/dry crispy noodle
• Fried Filet of Sole Lemon and Tartar Sauce
* b’Jibn is Muenster or Mozzarella Cheese
+the three on too usually served with Sour Cream for the kids and Yogurt w/cucumbers and dried mint leaves for Adults.
Fried Fish of any kind (Filet of Sole most popular) was rarely made because the house smell of fish
occasionally if it were being prepared in one house, everybody trotted i with their breaded ready to fry fish.
thank you, David