mujaddara

Mujaddara, though humble, inexpensive, and not terribly attractive, should be the star of your vegetarian dinner. Nobody puts mujaddara in a corner.

1 1/4 cup brown rice
1 cup lentils
1.5 tbsp cumin
2 tsp chili powder
Juice of 1 lemon
3 scallions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
2 onions, thinly sliced
greek yogurt, for serving
parsley sprig, for garnish

1. Prepare brown rice and lentils according to the package directions.
2. When both are done, combine and gently toss with cumin, chili powder, scallions, mint, parsley, salt and pepper.
3. While the rice and lentils are cooking, heat olive oil and butter in a large pan over medium-low heat. Add the onions, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until they start to become translucent, about 10 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook for 5 minutes more, adding water as needed to deglaze the bottom of the pan. Then increase the pan to high heat to char the onions and crisp them a bit.
4. Serve the brown rice and lentil mixture warm, topped with the caramelized onions and a dollop of Greek yogurt and parsley sprig.