NYTimes' Mujadara

Coconut Milk, Brown Rice and Lentils

I have my cooking pretty much down to a science. On my last working day at the grocery store where I work, I plan my meal for the next week. I decide on my breakfast, my snacks and my lunch mostly. Then when I get off the clock, I shop for my ingredients before going home. 

Lately, especially as spring as crept in, I have been craving lots and lots of vegetables so I have been reaching for vegan recipes. On Friday I searched for a recipe that had leek and lentils in it. I love leeks now, especially after I made a really decadent leek and potato soup in the winter. There is something about the sweetness you get from alliums like leeks and onions that I love in food.

While I was searching, I ran into this food blog called 'Holy Cow Vegan' where the writer mentioned a recipe for rice and lentils called Mujadara on NYTimes. So of course, I tracked down the recipe and decided this was what I wanted for lunch with some modifications.The recipe can be found here. There is a video for the making this recipe on there if you are interested.

For my version of this recipe, I used brown rice instead of white long grain rice. I also added in spring onions with the leeks and sauteed them in coconut oil with whole cumin seeds. This meant that my lentil cooked longer to get the rice soft and I had a creamier consistency. I also substituted half a cup of water with light coconut milk for taste. I took out the bay leaves and added in tumeric. I guess I aimed for more of a rice and lentil curry feel with my version.