Cypriot lentil pilaf Μουτζεντρα

When I was younger, I did not and I repeat I did not like eating this food! Every time my mum would cook it, I would get a headache -by the way I still do, why??- Back then I didn’t enjoy eating it either though! I’m not selling this right now, am I? But wait, look, I have somehow re-invented this recipe by marrying the Greek recipe for lentil soup with the Cypriot lentil pilaf and it works. It really does, like my husband and I haha. My girls absolutely love eating this too and it’s so healthy for them and myself- being anaemic- as it’s packed with nutrients and goodness.Most of the people I know who cook lentils, cook them for 20 minutes and then discard the water and add new. However, I don’t do that as I want all the nutrients to remain in the food especially the iron.

The only thing that takes a bit of time with this recipe is cooking the lentils since they need about 40 minutes to cook. Then it’s quite simple and straightforward as you will see below. You can enjoy this as soupy as you like or let the water cook and evaporate so that you get a proper pilaf. We like to serve this pilaf with some halloumi cheese cut in cubes and sprinkled on top but you can easily bypass that. I have heard people also eating this food with a fried egg on the side or feta cheese and olives.

Right, let’s get cooking my darlings!

You will need:

2 cups lentils, washed

9 cups water

3/4 cup basmati rice

1 onion, finely chopped

1/4 cup olive oil

100 gr passata

1 bay leaf

1 tsp garlic powder

salt/pepper

1 vegetable stock cube

halloumi to serve (optional)

Boil the lentils in a big pot long enough to soften. It will take around 40 minutes. If the water runs out keep adding little by little. A good way to check is to take a few and squeeze them.

When the lentils are done, in a separate pan, add the olive oil and onion and fry until soft. Pour the onion in the lentils and add the passata, garlic powder,salt, pepper, bay leaf, vegetable cube and rice. Make sure there is enough water in the pot to cook the rice. If not, just add half a cup each time. If you want the food to me more like a soup add more water. Cook for 15 minutes or until the rice is ready.

Cypriot lentil pilaf

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Serves: 4-6 Prep Time: 5 min Cooking Time: 1 hour 1 hour

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 3 voted )

Ingredients

• 2 cups lentils, washed
• 9 cups water
• 3/4 cup basmati rice
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 100 gr passata
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• salt/pepper
• 1 vegetable stock cube
• halloumi to serve (optional)

Instructions

Step 1

Wash the lentils and place them in a pot. Add water and boil for about 40 minutes. Make sure to check it every now and then and add more water if needed. The lentils are done when you can easily squeeze some with your fingers.

Step 2

In a separate pan, add the olive oil and onion. Fry the onion until soft.

Step 3

Pour the onion in the lentils and add the passata, rice, garlic powder, bay leaf, salt, pepper and vegetable cube. Add more water, enough to cook the rice. Cook for 10-15 minutes more on a low heat until the rice is ready.

Notes

Before serving, sprinkle some halloumi cheese cubes on top.