Vermicelli and lentil rice
There are many dishes like this throughout the Middle East. Our recipe was inspired by mujedrah, a Jewish culinary classic from Aleppo in Syria. We suggest using dry lentils instead of the canned version, which will likely turn into a purée when cooked with the rice.
Serve with mint and garlic yogurt or a good tomato sauce, then garnish with Aleppo pepper, to taste.
Ingredients
- 1 cup small, dry lentils
- ¾ cup olive oil
- 60 gr. wheat vermicelli
- 4-5 large onions, sliced
- 1 cup Turkish rice or parboiled rice
- 1 Tbsp cumin, ground
- 2 tsp Aleppo Seven Spice, ground
- Salt, to taste
- 4 Tbsp butter
Method
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1
Cook the lentils in 6 cups of boiling water for 15 minutes to soften. Drain and set the cooking liquid aside.
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2
Heat a large pan on medium. Add oil and sauté the vermicelli lightly until they become golden. Drain into a colander placed above a bowl to recuperate the oil. Set the vermicelli aside.
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3
Pour the saved oil and onions into the pan and cook for at least twenty minutes, until the onions are well caramelized (add a bit more oil if needed). Leave one quarter of the onions in the pan and set aside the rest.
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4
Add the rice, ground spices and salt to the pan. Mix well and let simmer for 1 minute. Incorporate the vermicelli, lentils and 2 cups of cooking water from the lentils (add more water if necessary).
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5
Bring to a boil, cover, reduce to low heat and cook for twenty minutes. Turn off the heat and let rest for 15 minutes before serving.
