Sides/egyptian rice with lentils

Serves: 6

Active Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 2 hour 15 minutes (plus overnight)

From: Mediterranean - A taste of the sun in over 150 recipes - by Jacquelline Clark & Joanna Farrow

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups, large brown lentils, soaked overnight in water

2 large onions

3 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp cumin

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 generous cup long-grain rice

salt

pepper

flat-leave parsley to garnish

Directions

Step 1

Drain the lentils and put in a large pan. Add enough water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil and simmer for 40 minutes - 1.5 hours until tender. Drain thoroughly.

Step 2

Finely chop one onion, and slice the other. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan, add the chopped onion and fry until soft. Add lentils, salt, pepper and cumin and cinnamon.

Step 3

Measure the volume or rice, and add with the same volume of water to the lentil mixture. Cover and simmer about 20 minutes until both the rice and the lentils are tender. Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan and heat the sliced onion until very dark brown. Pour the rice mixture into a serving bowl, sprinkle with the onion, and serve hot or cold garnished with flat-leaf parsley.