Mejadra - Israeli Favorite

by Irina Vishnevskaya, Tastemaker in Residence

Read the full story behind Irina Vishnevskaya's interview with Limor Cohen of Middle Eat.

What is your favorite local dish to make?

Although my kids prefer Japanese food, like sushi and miso soup, there are some Israeli dishes they really like to eat, and therefore I like to make these dishes for them. One of them is Mejadra, which is rice cooked with lentils and fried onion, and seasoned with cumin and cinnamon. It is a very simple dish and very healthy, and since my family is vegetarian I’m happy that they like it. I also like to make Ma’aroud, which is a date rolls cut into cookies. You can find some recipes on my website, including the Ma’aroud.

Ingredients
2 cups of rice (I like basmati)
1 cup of lentil
2 cup + 2 cups water
1 chopped large onion
2 tsp salt
1 tsp of cumin
1 tsp of cinnamon

Instructions

1. Wash the lentil and boil with 2 cups of water. Cook for half an hour.
2. Meanwhile wash the rice and put aside. 
3. Fry the onion until it turns golden.
4. Add the rice and onion to the lentil with 2 more cups of water. Season with salt, cumin and cinnamon.
5. Cook on high heat until it boils. Then reduce the heat to minimum and cook covered for 20 minutes.
6. Remove from the heat and leave it covered for additional 10 minutes.
7. You can eat the mejadra hot or cold. We are used to eating it mixed with Israeli salad and yogurt.