January 3, 2014
On those days when you are looking for a comforting, hearty, simple dish to make, Mjadarra is for you.
The beauty of this dish is that it is easily adjusted to your liking and all the ingredients can be found in your pantry at any time, yet it is very nutritious and filling.
It is made of three main ingredients along with some olive oil, salt, pepper and water. It’s so important to use a good quality olive oil for the onions as most of the flavor of the dish comes from both the onions and the olive oil.
Growing up, it was one of those meals you would have on a cold, wintery day and feel satisfied, feel it warm you up from the inside out. A heaping spoonful of the tender lentils and bulgar combined with the sweetness of the crispy fried onions, the crunch of a simple, lemony salad and the tang of thick, creamy yogurt, could melt all your worries away. These days, the rustic dish is one of my husband’s favorite to come home to after a long day at work, and when I do make it, he expects there be enough for leftovers the next day… but if there is none left, it’s not because I skimped on servings ;).
Mjadarra – Lentils and Bulgar with Crispy Onions
Makes about 3-4 Servings
2 cups Brown Lentils
1 cup Bulgar
3 cups Onion, thinly sliced
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
Boil the lentils with 1 tbsp salt in 3 cups of water for about 40 minutes, until lentils are tender.
Stir in bulgar and cook covered about 10-15 minutes more until the lentils and bulgar start to come together. Add water if needed and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Sauté 2 cups of the sliced onion in 3 tbsp olive oil until golden brown and soft.
Add onions and olive oil to the lentil mixture. Stir to combine and cook a
few minutes more.
Fry the remaining sliced onion in olive oil until golden brown and crispy.
Plate the lentil mixture and top with the crispy fried onions.
Serve the Mjadarra with plain yogurt and a simple salad.
This is a very adjustable dish. The ratio of lentils to bulgar to onions to olive oil can easily be tweaked to your liking, but this is my preferred ratio. Enjoy!
Check out @a.la.susu on Instagram for a quick recipe video for this recipe!
