Mujedara, a Mess of Pottage

in Genesis, Esau sells his birthright
for a mess of pottage
it is thought that a stew of lentils
and rice or barley is the same dish
can it be so after thousands of years
mujedara is served in almost all
middle eastern countries
in one form or another
there are many spellings of the name
it is a side dish or a main dish
most of today’s recipes on the web
use a mix of rice and lentils
I’m making the assumption
that rice was not known
to those who made the first pottage
I’m using a mix of lentils and barley
and caramelized onions
cooked in the same manner
one makes a pilaf
using a flavored bouillon
like vegetable or chicken
in a quantity of good virgin olive oil
add:
1 clove of garlic
1 medium sized sweet onion
let them cook until translucent and golden brown
then add:
½ cup pearl barley
½ lentils
toast lentils and barley in the frying pan
mixing frequently
add:
2 cups of water and bouillon (if using)
cover and cook about 25 minutes
add:
a pinch of sumac if desired
this astringent spice adds to and enhances
all the flavors
may be serves with yogurt

© 2010 Sandy Vrooman