Mujadara: Lentils & Bulgur Pilaf

Our whole family LOVES this dish. It's like a Lebanese version of the pilau that my family used to make in Fiji.

It's an adaptation of the original recipe from Maureen Abood. I've made it so many times and it's a hit every time. It's super simple too and requires only a few ingredients. Win-win!

Ingredients

• 1 cup brown lentils

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

• 4 cups diced yellow onions (that's about 4 medium sized onions)

• 1 cup coarse bulgur

• 1 and 1/2 tsp salt

Method

1. Rinse the lentils. In a medium sized saucepan or pot, add the lentils and 2 cups of water. Add a pinch of salt. Bring to the boil over medium heat. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and let it simmer uncovered for 7 - 10 minutes. You want them par-cooked. Once it is ready, set it aside (don't remove the water as you'll use it later).

2. Rinse the bulgur and set aside.

3. Get a heavy based pot or saucepan that has a lid. Heat 1/4 cup of vegetable oil over medium high heat. Add the onions and cook until the onions are a deep golden brown and charred in places - almost burnt. It should take about 20 minutes. Part way through cooking, add a pinch of salt. Stir frequently to ensure that all the onions cook but none burn.

4. Add 2 cups of water to the pot of onions and bring it back to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

5. Add the lentils and bulgur. Add the salt. Mix well, cover and let it cook on the lowest heat until the lentils and bulgur are cooked and the water has been absorbed. I cooked it on the lowest setting on the smallest burner on my hob - it took about 50 minutes.

6. Serve and enjoy :) In the photos, I served it with my homemade vegan Lebanese yoghurt and slow cooked green beans with tomatoes.