Make Ahead

Mama's M'Jedrah (Rice and Lentils)

August 11, 2015
4
1 Ratings
Photo by Faryl Amadeus
  • Serves Eight
Author Notes

My mom was NOT a cook. She was a hippy (burned her bra at Woodstock, etc.) and rebelled against most things, including her lineage as a Syrian Jew. However when it came to cooking Syrian food, she was a pro.
In Aleppo, where my grandparents are from, M'Jedrah was once thought of as the poor man's dish. Ingredients are affordable, it's simple to prepare and full of fiber and protein. This dish gets better with time so I always make a huge batch to eat leftovers for days.
Faryl Amadeus

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1 cup uncooked lentils
  • 5 cups water
  • 2 tablespoons coarse salt
  • 2 cups long grain rice
  • 3 tablespoons butter, chopped
  • 3 medium onions, halved and sliced
  • 1/3 cup oil (I used one part olive and one part vegetable)
Directions
  1. Rinse lentils.
  2. In a saucepan, combine lentils and 2 cups water.
  3. Cover, bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes.
  4. Add the remaining 3 cups of water and salt and bring to boil again.
  5. Wash and drain rice and add to the lentils. Cover and simmer for 25 minutes.
  6. Once water is absorbed add butter pieces.
  7. In a separate pan, heat oil on high and saute onions until crispy. (About 10-15 minutes)
  8. Serve onions over rice and lentils with yogurt.

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1 Review

Ann R. March 13, 2020
The recipe still is good but I will cut the salt in half next time.