Recipe of Mengedarrai

Lentils with rice

Ingredients

• 'Pardina' lentils, 200 g
• Rice (medium sized grain or Basmati), 200 g
• Water, 700 cc
• Onions, peeled and finely chopped, 2
• Sunflower oil, 3 tbsp
• Butter, 2 tbsp
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation

• Soak the lentils for an hour.
  
• Put them into 400 cc of water and cook them on a medium heat. When the water starts to boil, add another 100 cc of water and cook for 10 minutes more.
• Add the rice together with 200 cc of salted water. Cover with a lid and cook for half an hour on a medium heat. Add the butter and stir.
• In a frying pan, sauté the onions in oil, then add them to the rice and lentils and season to taste.

Variations

• To improve the colour and the flavour of the dish, after sautéing the onion add two crushed cloves of garlic, three grated tomatoes and a small piece of ginger, cut into fine slices, 1/2 tsp of caraway seed, 1/2 tsp of cinnamon, the head of one clove, the juice of one lemon and salt to the pan.
  
• Stir and leave to reduce for a few minutes.
  
• Finally mix with the lentils and rice.