I just had to try this dish! It is based on a recipe from Suzy’s The Mediterranean Dish blog, which always contains amazing recipes and information. In doing some research, this dish is popular in Middle Eastern cuisine and was first noted in a cookbook from 1226! It comes in various forms from a version with meat served at celebrations to this simple dish commonly associated with the poor (attributed to Wikipedia). Regardless of variation or connotation, I loved the simple ingredient list and figured this meal would be a hit like the Koshari I made last year. For my take on this dish, I decided to prepare it sous vide since I recently cooked rice and lentils successfully this way. The results?  Well, this simple dish really came alive. The lentils and rice were wonderfully flavored by the rich browned onions; sweet and savory combined. The parsley added a slight peppery and fresh aspect while the crunch of the fried onions contrasted nicely with the soft, but not mushy lentils and rice. Different flavors and different textures all in one dish? Yes, it has and I think I will be making this one again… soon!

Preheat the water bath to 190 degrees. Rinse the rice well and add to a recloseable bag. In a medium frying pan, heat the olive oil over Medium heat. Add the diced onions to the pan and cook until a dark brown, approximately 15 minutes. Sprinkle with a little salt to help the onions release their moisture.

While the onions are browning, place the lentils in a small bowl with 1 1/2 cups of boiling or very hot water. Soak the lentils for 15 minutes then drain and add to the recloseable bag.

As the onions get close to deep brown, add 2 tablespoons of water to deglaze the pan and soften any crispy onions. Cook until the water is evaporated then remove the onions to a small bowl to cool slightly, approximately 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the onions, salt and pepper to the lentils and rice then add 3/4 cup water and seal, removing as much air as possible. Place bag in water bath and cook for 45 minutes.

Before the rice and lentils are done, add the canola oil to the frying pan over Medium/Medium-High heat. Test the oil with a small piece of onion. When it bubbles vigorously, the oil is ready. Fry the sliced onions until they are golden brown, approximately 3 – 5 minutes.

Transfer the onions to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Remove the rice and lentils from the recloseable bag to a bowl and lightly fluff. Add salt and pepper to taste before moving to a serving dish. Lightly drizzle some olive oil over the mujaddara and spread the fried onions and chopped parsley over top before serving.

Enjoy!