Megadarra

'Middle Eastern lentils, rice, and caramelised onions'

Recipe for Megadarra:

1 cup (200 grams) brown lentils

2 1/2 cups (625 grams) water

1. In medium size sauce pan cook above uncovered till just tender, about 25 minutes and the

water is absorbed.

2. While lentils cook, slice 2-3 onions.

3. In a fry pan add 1/4 cup Olive Oil, the sliced onions, 3 teaspoons sugar, and cook 5 minutes.

Stir.

4. Add to above onions 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar and 1/4 cup water. Stir and cook 10 minutes and then add another 1/4 cup water. Cook another 5 minutes until onions are caramelised.

5. Into the pot with the cooked lentils add:

1/2 cup ( 100 grams) white long grain rice

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 cups water

1/2 of the caramelised onions

6. Bring to boil cover and cook for 15 minutes till rice is done.

7. Serve in a bowl with the remaining caramelised onions on top.

8. Serves 3 - 4

Recipe from, 'The Australian Women's Weekly Cookbooks'

'Cooking Class Middle Eastern'

'Anadama Bread' from Peter Reinhart's book,

The Bread Baker's Apprentice.

It's so easy to make and yummy to eat.

1. Night before mix 1 cup of room temperature water and 1 cup of coarse corn meal in a small bowl and cover with (ugh!) plastic film, leave on countertop overnight.

2. Next day, mix 2 cups of type 65 bread flour, a packet of dry yeast, 1 cup lukewarm water ( 90 - 100 F), and the soaker of cornmush into a large mixing bowl. Cover with a towel and let ferment for 1 hour, it will be sponge like with bubbles showing that the yeast is alive.

3. Add to above: 2 1/2 cups of type 65 bread flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 6 tablespoons of a light molasses, ( a darker molasses makes a stronger tasting bread) and 2 tablespoons soft butter.

4 Mix until it holds together. Then sprinkle some flour on a tabletop and transfer the dough. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes until it is firm, pliable and not stickly. It's a very nice dough to work with.

5. Oil a large bowl and transfer the kneaded dough. Roll the dough around in the bowl to coat it with the oil then cover and let double in size, 60 to 90 minutes.

6. Divide dough in half. Shape dough by forming a ball, then flatten to a rectangle the length size of your bread pan, then roll up to form a loaf. Put into a greased pan. Mist top with oil and cover. Let rise another 60 - 90 minutes, until dough rises to the top of pan.

7. Pre-heat oven to 350 F

8. Spray top of loaf with water and sprinkle corn meal on top.

9. Bake, middle rack in oven 20 minutes, open oven and turn pan and bake another 20 mintues.

10. Done when browned, a hollow sounds when thumped, and the internal temperature is at least 185 F to 190 F, use a meat thermometer.

11. Turn out onto rack and cool before slicing.

Enjoy!