Brown Rice Mujadara

To Make The Brown Rice and Lentils: Stir together vegetable stock, cumin, coriander, salt and bay leaf in a large saucepan. Heat over high heat until the stock reaches a boil. Add rice and lentils, and stir to combine. Continue cooking until the mixture reaches a simmer again. Then cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 40-45 minutes, or until the rice is cooked. Remove from heat and let sit for 10 minutes. Remove bay leaf. Then fluff the mixture with a fork.

To Make The Caramelized Onions: Meanwhile, as the rice and lentil are being prepared, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a (separate) large sauté pan or stockpot over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for about 30 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until they are browned and caramelized. (If the bottom of your pan begins to brown, just add in a tablespoon or so of water, then use a wooden spoon to scrape up the browned bits. Keep an eye on the bottom of your pan so that it doesn’t burn!) Once the onions have reached a nice chestnut-y color, remove 2/3 of the onions and transfer them to a separate plate, and set aside.

To Make The Fried Onions: Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the remaining 1/3 of the caramelized onions in the pan, and increase heat to medium-high. Sauté the onions in the oil for an additional 4-5 minutes until they become even more browned and slightly crispy, stirring occasionally. Once they are ready to go, remove from heat and transfer to a separate plate.

To Wrap It All Up: Once everything is ready to go, combine the soft caramelized onions (not the fried batch), lentils, rice, mint, pine nuts, and the zest and juice of the fresh lemon in your sauté pan (or stockpot), and toss until evenly combined. Serve warm with a dollop of Greek yogurt and extra lemon slices, and top with the crispy onions.