Levantine Inspired Lentil Dip with 3 Hour Crispy Melty Onions

This dip is a loose interpretation of the Levantine Dish Called Mujadara also spelled Mejadra.

Mujadara is basically a pilaf of regular lentils, long grain rice and Crispy onions.

I came up with this dish because my husband doesn’t like the texture of lentils and will only eat them mushy or in a soup.

First start off your onions

You need a baking pan drizzled with extra virgin olive oil,

Drizzle of balsamic vinegar

a few bay leaves

a few black peppercorns

4 pealed red onions cut in halves sliced thin and also drizzle the tops with extra virgin olive oil.

Place pan in a 325 degree oven on your middle rack and roast 3 hours.

For your lentils

I used 3 1/2 cups of lentils that were 1/2 the regular brown ones and half pink lentils. The pink ones turn mushy and the brown ones give a little texture. You cover the washed and rinsed lentils with a good cover of water. Add your spices.

2 teaspoons coriander

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2-1/4 teaspoon caynee (if you eat this the same day the 1/2 t. taste almost too hot but the next day it’s more mellow)

1 cinnamon stick

Bring this mixture up to a boil and then reduce to a simmer and then cover the pot. Your lentils will be done in 15-20 minutes. You might need to add one cup of water for the texture you want. (when the lentils are done remove the cinnamon stick)

When your onions are done they will look like this.

Pull the crispy ones off and set to the side of the pan.

Mix all those melty sweet onions into the lentils.

Mix and serve topped with the crispier onions and optional chopped scallions and sour cream or yogurt.

Levantine Inspired Lentil Dip with 3 Hour Crispy Melty Onions

Forking Good!

I had extra basil and some anchovies I wanted to forking use so I thought of the Thai Dish Pad Grapow,

Pad Grapow in America is basically Chicken and lots of Thai Basil with Fish Sauce, chili’s and garlic.

The “Red Boat Brand” of fish sauce is just made from anchovies. So with the ingredients I used  I thought this can be a similar forking dish.

Ingredients (for about 4 servings)

About a lb. of cleaned chicken off the bone either light or dark meat (rough hand chopped and pounded)

Hand Cut

Pounded

one small can of anchovies in olive oil

one package of basil rinsed off and leaves removed from stem. (it forking looks like too much basil but it isn’t. The basil shrinks down. You want to really taste basil here.

One hot pepper

about 3-6 cloves garlic depending on how you garlic taste and your forking love of garlic.

optional crushed red chili flakes (when I finished I wanted to bump up the heat a little for balance)

Easy directions

Put your fry pan on medium high heat and heat up the olive oil from your small can of anchovies. Mince your garlic and chili together and add to fry pan when it’s hot. Let it go a few minutes and then add your anchovies and let it all melt together.

Add your chicken and leave it the fork alone a few minutes to cook. Turn the chicken over and let cook on other side. When it’s almost done stir it around and add all the basil. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. Serve over spaghetti for an Italian Fusion touch or over zucchini spaghetti for a forking figure friendly option.

Forking Good