lentil and rice pilaff in a bowl garnished with a sprig of parsley
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Moutchentra (Lentil and Rice Pilaff)

Moutchentra (Lentil and Rice Pilaff) is a traditional Cypriot recipe for a classic vegetarian accompaniment made from a blend of lentils and rice in an onion and olive oil base. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Cypriot version of: Lentil and Rice Pilaff (Moutchentra).

prep time

20 minutes

cook time

45 minutes

Total Time:

65 minutes

Serves:

6–8

Rating: 4.5 star rating

Tags : Vegetarian RecipesBean RecipesCyprus Recipes

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Ingredients


200g lentils
120g rice<br/>
120g onions, sliced into thin rings
180ml olive oil
1.5l cold water
salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste

Method:

Wash the lentils, place in a bowl, cover with plenty of water and set aside to soak over night. The following day, drain the lentils then bring a pan of lightly-salted water to a boil (use the 1.5l water for this recipe), add the lentils and cook for about 15 minutes. Wash the rice and add to the pan then cook slowly over low heat until all the liquid has been absorbed (about 20 minutes).

About 10 minutes before the pan is ready to be taken off the heat cover with a thick cloth and place the lid on top of the cloth (this keeps the rice moist and fluffy).

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and use to fry the onions for about 6 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Turn the contents of the frying pan (both oil and onions) into the pan containing the rice and lentil pilaff. Serve hot from the cooking dish so that the crisp onions covers the top of the pilaff.

As a variant, some people mix 60g brad cut into small dice with the onions before frying.