Recipe Index

Ingredients

• 1 cup basmati rice
• 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 2 oz. angel hair pasta, coarsely broken into 1" pieces (about ¾ cup)
• 1¼ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¾ tsp. Morton kosher salt, divided, plus more
• ½ cup brown lentils
• 2 medium onions, thinly sliced
• 1½ tsp. cornstarch
• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 1 Tbsp. ground cumin
• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp. ground turmeric
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1 cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt
• Thinly sliced chives (for serving)

Method

1. Rinse the basmati rice in cold water, swishing and draining it repeatedly until the water runs clear, then drain it well in a fine sieve.
2. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, toast the broken angel hair pasta in it for about 90 seconds until lightly browned, then stir in the rice, part of the salt and water to cover and cook it, covered, until tender.
3. Simmer the brown lentils separately in salted water until they are tender but still holding their shape, and drain them.
4. Take the rice off the heat and let it stand, still covered, for 15 minutes so the grains finish steaming.
5. Toss the thinly sliced onions with the cornstarch, then fry them in the olive oil in a large pan over high heat until deeply golden and crisp, lifting them out to drain.
6. Season the resting rice with the cumin, cinnamon, turmeric and black pepper, fluff it with a fork, and fold in the lentils and most of the fried onions.
7. Spoon the mejadra into bowls, add a generous spoonful of Greek yogurt to each, and top with the reserved crisp onions and thinly sliced chives, plus a drizzle of olive oil.

Nutrition (per serving, where published)

Estimated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient data