That Translator Can Cook: Mujaddara

Lentils and rice cooked in a spiced or savory broth and topped with caramelized onions.

Image Source: m-diet.com

 I actually make this dish for myself: I cook a huge pot of mujaddara and divide it up into 8 portions. I also don’t follow the recipe: I cook the lentils and rice in one pot, and they tend to end up as one glutinous mass. I also have trouble caramelizing the onions: I cook the onions on low heat for a long time, but they never turn brown or become crispy, even when I turn up the heat at the end. I said, “that translator can cook,” I never said I could cook well haha.



The word “mujaddara” means “pockmarked” in Arabic, which I’m guessing is due mujaddara’s appearance. According to Sawsan Abu Farha (Chef in Disguise), “The first recorded recipe for mujaddara appears in Kitab al-Tabikh, a cookbook compiled in 1226 by al-Baghdadi in Iraq.” The recipe originally contained meat and the poor made mujaddara with just lentils and rice. Evidently, the “poor” version is now the popular recipe, and for good reason.

Eating lentils and abstaining from meat have many health benefits.

Lentils are highly nutritious:

• They are a great source of iron, protein, B vitamins, magnesium, zinc and potassium.

• They are rich in polyphenols, some of which have “strong antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects.”

• They are associated with a lower risk of heart disease and may help lower blood pressure.

Bear in mind that lentils also contain antinutrients (i.e. trypsin inhibitors, tannins, lectins, and phytic acid), “which can reduce absorption of other nutrients. Soaking and cooking lentils will minimize these, but regardless, you will still absorb the majority of your nutrients.”

Because lentils are over 25% protein in their macronutrient ratio, they are a great alternative to meat. Studies have shown that avoiding meat can:

• help you lose weight

• lower your cholesterol

• lower your risk of cancer, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes

• promote sustainable food production (with regards to climate change)

Here is how to make this affordable and healthy dish (recipe belongs to the Lady of the House’s Kitchen [مطبخ ست البيت]).

Ingredients

• 1 cup of black lentils

• 1½ cup of rice, a mixture of long-grain and short-grain

• ½ kilo of onions

• 1 head of garlic, peeled and minced

• 1 cup of flour, mixed with salt, baharat, pepper, and cumin

Spices:

• 2 tablespoons of salt

• ½ tablespoon of pepper

• 1 tablespoon of seven-spice blend

• 1 teaspoon of cumin

• 1 cup of oil, for frying the onions

• 2½ cups of water

Steps

1. Clean the dirt from the lentils and get rid of any broken ones; boil them with the water until they're fully cooked. Soak the rice while you cook the lentils.

2. Julienne the onions and dip them in the flour mix, then use a sieve to remove the excess flour. Next, fry the onions in oil, then place them on parchment paper to remove the oil.

3. After the lentils are fully cooked, strain the water out.

4. Mince two onions and put them in a pan, add two tablespoons of ghee, and toss the minced onions and garlic until they turn golden brown. After that, pour the lentils over top of them and stir in about four cups of boiling water and all the above spices. Then, strain the rice from the water it was soaking in and add it over top of the lentils.

5. Let it simmer until all the water has been absorbed. If you feel like there is too much water, take some out; if the rice feels hard, add some more water. Next, add two tablespoons of ghee and cover until serving.

6. Pour the mujaddara onto a platter and lay the crispy onions on top. Serve with salad or yogurt and appetizers.

Behold! Here is how I butcher the mujaddara recipe. I get a lot of nutritious meals out of it though...

Translators’ Discussion

1. I’ve heard of red, green, and brown lentils, but I’ve never heard of black lentils before this recipe. I saw some sources confirm it, but not many. Are black lentils a thing?

2. I was very confused by the mixed use of بهارات (lit. “spices/seasoning,” but also could be used to mean seven-spice blend) and بهار مشكل (seven-spice blend). Do you think the way the spices are arranged now make sense?

3. In my experience, سمنة is used to indicate ghee, but technically it means “fat,” so it could refer to lard or something like that. What does سمنة mean to you?