It has been all about comfort food for me lately. We've been enjoying all the cooking and baking and quite decadent eating for the last two months, but for me, I needed to return to a semblance of my typical eating habits or otherwise will need a crowbar to leave the house once it is again time for that.
But I still want comfort food!
Enter mujadara, a staple in many Mediteranen cultures, and something I first tried in a local Lebanese-restaraunt. It's basically beans and rice, made completely luxurious by a mess of caramelized onions, and a rich yogurt sauce, called labneh. I've cooked many versions of this dish using many recipes, but here is a bright flavor profile perfect for spring and summer that happens to pair perfectly with the Honeyed Lemon Balm.
A bright flavor profile perfect for spring and summer that happens to pair perfectly with the Honeyed Lemon Balm.
Ingredients:
Kosher salt
1/2 C raisins (I prefer golden raisins)
1/4 C Starrlight Mead's Honeyed Lemon Balm Mead
4-5 medium onions (enough for 7 C sliced)
1/4 C, plus # Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 C French green (Puy) lentils
1 C basmati rice
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 1/4 tsp. ground coriander, divided
2 1/4 tsp. ground cumin, divided
1/2 C fried shallot (optional)
1/2 C parsley leaves with tender stems
1/2 C plain Greek yogurt
1 lemon, juiced and zested
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, place raisins in a small bowl. Add mead and 1 Tbs. very hot water to cover raisins. Stir to combine and set aside to "plump."
Halve and peel onions, and slice thinly into half-moons (again, you should have 7 cups).
Caramelize the onions: heat 1/4 C olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and stir to coat in oil. Season with salt, then reduce to low heat and cover skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft and translucent, about 15 minutes.
Uncover skillet and sprinkle onions with sugar, which increases caramelization. Increase to heat to medium-high and continue to cook onions, stirring frequently and reducing heat if needed. If onions stick, add 1 Tbs. water to deglaze pan, and keep onions turning easily. Cook until rich brown and reduced in size by about two-thirds, about 35-40 minutes.
Meanwhile, add lentils to boiling salted water. Stir so there are no sinkers or stickers, then cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked through but still al dente, about 20-25 minutes. Drain and set aside. Wipe pot dry.
As lentils cook, rinse the rice. Repeat twice until water drains clear. Set aside to drain in a fine-mesh sieve.
Heat 2Tbs. olive oil in the same pot over medium-high until hot. Add 1/4 tsp. cinnamon, 2 tsp. coriander and 2 tsp. ground cumin and cook, stirring, until fragrant and a shade darker, about 30 seconds.
Add rice, 2 tsp. salt, and stir to coat the rice in spices, about 30 seconds. Pour in 1 1/2 C water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to lowest setting, cover with lentils in an even layer, and cover pot. Cook, undisturbed, until water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork and cover pot again.
Add raisins and any liquid in the bowl to the caramelized onions. Transfer onion mixture to pot with rice. Add half of fried shallots (if using), and juice from 1/2 lemon. Stir to combine, season with salt, and keep covered until ready to use.
Coarsely chop parsley leaves, save as garnish.
For yogurt sauce: mix Greek yogurt and remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil, juice of 1/2 lemon and lemon zest, 1/4 tsp coriander, and 1/4 tsp cumin in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
Transfer beans and rice to a platter. Top with chopped parsley (and remainder of fried shallots, if using). Serve with yogurt sauce alongside. Pour yourself a glass of Honeyed Lemon Balm mead and enjoy!.
For the sake of this pairing, I made slight modifications to the following recipe in order to include the mead: https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/mujadara