Recipe – Mujadarra
Mujadarra is a middle eastern style kitchari with a very different (and delicious!) flavour from typical Ayurvedic kitcharees. Serve with Green Tahini Sauce and a side of cooked veggies.
Ingredients
- 1 cup green lentils (do not soak)
- ¼ cup ghee
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ teaspoon crushed black pepper
- 2 medium fennel bulbs, diced small (about 2 cups)
- 1¾ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon asafoetida
- 1½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 2-inch cinnamon stick
- 5 cloves
- ¾ cup basmati rice, washed and well drained
Garnishes
- ¼ cup lightly toasted pine nuts or slivered almonds
- Squeeze of fresh lime
- Parsley or mint, minced
Serves 8
The Magic
1. Preheat the oven to 350℉.
2. Place the lentils in a 2-quart saucepan.Cover the lentils with cold water by about an inch. Bring it to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce the heat to simmer, and cook, uncovered, until the lentils are tender but not mushy, about 20 minutes. Drain and set aside.
3. While the lentils cook, heat the ghee in a 12-inch saute pan over medium-low heat and add the cumin seeds and pepper; toast until the cumin seeds darken a shade, 5 to 10 seconds. Add the fennel, ¼ teaspoon salt, and asafoetida—cover and cook on low heat, stirring occasionally, until the fennel becomes tender, about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat. Using a slotted spoon or spatula, remove about half of the fennel, spread on a greased baking tray, and bake for about 10 minutes, until the fennel turns crispy and golden brown (these will later be used for garnish).
4. Turn on the heat on medium-low for the pan with the remaining cooked fennel, sprinkle in the ground cumin, paprika, nutmeg, coriander, cinnamon stick, and cloves—mix and saute for 1 minute.
5. Add the rice and gently saute until the rice grains become translucent. Quickly, add the cooked lentils, 2¾ cups of water, and the remaining 1½ teaspoons of salt; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes, until the rice grains are soft.
6. Remove the cloves and cinnamon stick. Use a large fork to fluff the mujaddara and garnish it with roasted fennel, toasted almonds, parsley, and lime juice. Serve with Green Tahini Sauce on the side.