AROMATIC LENTIL, FIDEU AND RICE PILAF

Pasta, rice and lentils come together to create a nutritious symphony of enticing aromas and delightful textures in every spoonful. Prepare to be pleasantly surprised by this delicious dish using simple kitchen cupboard ingredients!

Recipe by Tamara Gillon inspired by Sami Tamimi's Mujadara recipe from Falastin.

READY IN

15-20 mins resting time

COOKING TIME

1 hour

PREP TIME

1 hour

SERVES

Serves 6 as a main dish, or 8 as a side

ingredients

300g Epic Pardina lentils

IN STOCK

250g Calasparra rice

IN STOCK

1 ½ tsp cumin seeds

1 ½ tbsp coriander seeds

3 tbsp Extra virgin Olive Oil

IN STOCK

50g Sanmartin Fideu Pasta

IN STOCK

2 tsp Nora pepper paste

IN STOCK

1 tsp ground allspice

½ tsp ground turmeric

½ tsp ground cinnamon

450ml cold water

Salt & pepper

3 medium onions, cut in half and thinly sliced (500g)

2 tsp cornflour

About 300ml sunflower oil, for frying

Method:

Rinse the lentils, place them in a large saucepan, and cover generously with cold water.
Set the heat to high and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer, cover and cook for about 15 minutes, until the lentils are just a little underdone – you want them to retain a bit of a bite as they will cook further with the rice. Drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, make the fried onions. Toss the sliced onions with the cornflour and salt. Heat the oil in a medium, heavy-based saucepan on high until very hot (test the temperature by dropping a small piece of onion in – it should sizzle immediately).
Reduce the heat to medium-high and add a third of the onions. Fry the onions for 5-7 minutes, until golden brown and crispy, stirring occasionally with a slotted spoon.
Transfer the onions to a colander lined with kitchen paper, and repeat twice with the remaining two thirds of the onions (you can make these a day in advance and store them in an airtight container).
Rinse the rice thoroughly until the water runs clear. Drain and set aside.
Put a large, shallow pan (28cm wide x 7cm deep) with a tight-fitting lid on a medium heat. Briefly toast the cumin and coriander seeds. Remove from the heat and crush them slightly with a pestle and mortar - set aside.
In the same pan, heat the sunflower oil on a medium heat. Add the fideu and cook, stirring for about 3 minutes, until dark golden brown.
Add the rice, cumin and coriander seeds, Nora paste, ground spices, 1 tsp salt, and a grind of black pepper. Mix the rice and pasta with the oil and spices, then add the cooked lentils and water and stir briefly. Bring to the boil, uncovered, then cover with the lid and reduce the heat to very low. Cook for 15 minutes until all the water has been absorbed.
Take the pan off the heat, remove the lid and quickly cover the pan with a clean tea towel. Replace the lid over the tea towel, sealing tightly. Set aside for 15-20 minutes to steam.
Finally, add half the fried onions to the rice and lentils and stir gently with a fork to combine.
Serving suggestion: Pile the pilaf into a shallow serving dish and top it with the remaining onions (you can also add some pomegranate seeds for extra colour).