Mudardara (Lentils and Rice with Cumin and Crispy Onions)

La storia di questo piatto

Mudardara belongs to the Levant, a dish of the humble table where lentils and rice meet and need nothing more than cumin to sing. It is poverty made beautiful, a bowl that has fed families for generations with nothing but patience and a few honest ingredients.

Ingredienti

• 150 g Brown lentils (Pardina or similar)
• 150 g Long-grain rice (or basmati)
• 4 pcs Large onions
• 80 ml Olive oil
• 2 teaspoons Ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
• 1 pinch Ground cinnamon (optional variation)
• 250 ml Water or light vegetable broth (plus 100 ml of lentil cooking water)
• 6 g Fine salt (total: 1 g for the onions and 5 g for the rice)
• 1 pcs Lemon
• 1 pcs Bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon All-purpose flour 00 (optional)

Preparazione

1. Place the lentils in a large pot, cover them with plenty of cold water and add the bay leaf: bring to a boil without salt, otherwise the skins would stay tough. Lower the heat and cook them only halfway, for about 10-12 minutes: they should still be firm to the bite, slightly undercooked at the centre, since they will finish cooking together with the rice. Drain them, reserving a glass (about 100 ml) of their cooking water, and discard the bay leaf.
2. While the lentils cook, slice the onions into thin, even strips so they cook uniformly. Optional: toss them with a teaspoon of 00 flour to help them crisp. Fry them in a wide pan with the 80 ml of olive oil over medium heat, stirring often, until they turn a rich, glossy dark brown with a sweet caramel aroma: it takes patience, but it is the heart of the dish. Remove them with a slotted spoon and spread them in a single layer on paper towels, salting them immediately with 1 g of the total salt (a pinch): they will dry out and stay crisp. Keep the flavourful oil in the pan.
3. Rinse the rice under cold running water until the water runs clear, then drain it well. In the same pan (or in a heavy-bottomed pot), keep 3-4 tablespoons of the aromatic onion oil and set the rest aside for drizzling as desired. Toast the cumin seeds, ground cumin and the optional pinch of cinnamon over medium heat, stirring constantly: they burn in an instant, and you only want them to release their fragrance. Immediately add the drained lentils and the rinsed rice, and stir for a couple of minutes until the edges of the rice become almost translucent.
4. Add 250 ml of hot water or broth together with the reserved lentil cooking water (about 100 ml), for a total of roughly 350 ml of liquid: this is the right amount for 150 g of rice, which absorbs about 1.5 times its weight, plus the half-cooked lentils that still need a little more. Season with the remaining 5 g of salt (1 g has already been used for the onions, 6 g in total). Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to the minimum, cover with a lid and let it simmer gently without lifting the lid, for about 15-18 minutes, until all the liquid has been absorbed and small steam holes appear on the surface.
5. Turn off the heat and let the pot rest, still covered, for 10 minutes, placing a clean, thin cotton tea towel between the pot and the lid: the cloth absorbs excess steam and the rice dries out, staying fluffy rather than sticky. Then gently fluff it with a fork.
6. Transfer the rice and lentils to a large serving platter and squeeze a thread of fresh lemon juice over them: the acidity awakens the cumin and harmonises the flavours. Taste and adjust the salt if needed, then generously top with the crispy onions, which you will have kept uncovered on a plate until serving so they don't soften. The contrast between the warm, soft rice and the crunch of the onions is what makes this humble dish special. Serve immediately, perhaps with plain yoghurt or a cucumber salad. Total time: about 70 minutes, of which roughly 30 minutes is active work (the lentils cook while you fry the onions).