Charlie's Lentils & Rice
"Mujardah" A Famous Middle Eastern Recipe

Ingredients
1/2 of a red or white onion finely chopped

Olive oil

2 cups of Lentils
Optional: Soak in water for 12 hours the day before.
Rinse & change water before cooking.

2 cups of Brown Rice

1tbsp Cumin

1/2 tsp Curry

1/2 tsp Turmeric

Filtered Water

Directions
Sauté onion with 2 TBSP of olive oil {1 minute}

Add lentils on top of onions & add 1 more TBPS of olive oil {Sauté for 1 minute}

Add brown rice

Add Spices

Add enough water that doubles to the amount of rice & lentils

(If you have 2 inches of rice & lentils than make sure you have 4 inches of water)

Simmer for 15 minutes or to taste!

Enjoy :-}
Nutritional Facts:
Lentils constitute an important source of nutrition - they provide protein, complex carbohydrates, fiber and vitamins.

Brown rice, which has only the outer hull removed, retains--along with its bran layer--an impressive variety of vitamins and minerals, including niacin, vitamin B6, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, selenium, and even some vitamin E. Brown rice contains only a small amount of protein, but that is of good quality because of its relatively high level of the amino acid lysine. Because the bran is not milled away, brown rice contains four times the amount of insoluble fiber found in white rice--a prime reason for eating brown rice instead of white.
Some tips for cooking with lentils:
  • Rainbow Grocery sells delicious organic lentils and brown rice in the bulk section for a very good price.
  • Store dry beans in dry, airtight containers at room temperature.
  • Try and use lentils within six months -- the older they get, the longer they take to soak and cook because of lost moisture.
  • Sort dahls, beans and lentils before use - you may find an occasional small stone you'll want to remove before cooking.
  • Rinse several times before you cook.
  • Some beans need soaking to aid the cooking process.
  • Do not add salt or acidic ingredients like tomatoes or lemon juice until the beans or dahls are cooked.
  • Maharishi Ayurveda recommends eating beans, dahls and lentils that are well-cooked for easy digestion.
  • Adding spices such as cumin, black pepper and ginger to dahls and beans helps the process of digestion.
Background:
Charlie is a parent at the Rocky Mountain Co-operative Nursery School. He owns Charlie’s Café on the corner of Folsom & Precita in Bernal Heights. Because Charlie has 2 children of his own he has toys in his café for your children to play with while you are enjoying his delicious food. Lentils & Rice is a favorite dish of the children who vist Charlie’s Café. If you stop by mention you heard about him from the Silverspot Recipe Page!