The Mejadra recipe in Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi’s Jerusalem: A Cookbook is Tamimi’s take on the traditional Arab comfort food combination of rice, lentils, and onions. Here, the rice and lentils are steamed together with a plethora of spices, pilaf style, before adding the pièce de résistance–a smattering of freshly fried onions. It may seem strange to stir crisp fried bits into a steaming hot pot of rice, but the lost crunch factor is totally worth it considering the incredible depth of caramelized, salty flavor given over to the rice and beans. And never fear, fried-fiends, you’ll reserve some of the fried onions for topping off your bowl anyway.
Why I picked this recipe: A heavily spiced blend of lentils, rice, and fried onions seemed like a perfect bowl of comfort food for chilly late November evenings.
What worked: Once assembled, the dish far surpasses the sum of its parts—who knew such humble elements could taste so dynamic?
