Brown Rice and Lentils with Slow-Browned Onions

Ingredients

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• 1¼ cups dry brown lentils, rinsed
• 1¼ cups dry long-grain brown rice, rinsed
• 4 large onions, peeled and sliced thin
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp whole cumin seeds, toasted and ground
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
• 5 cups water, for cooking the lentils and rice
• ¼ cup water, for steaming the onions

All set! Everything is out. Time to bake.

Method

1. 1Rinse the lentils and rice together in a strainer and drain. Slice the onions thin and as even as you can.
2. 2Heat the olive oil in a wide skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and the ¼ cup water, cover, and cook 10 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the onions are soft and have given up their liquid.
3. 3Take the lid off, turn the heat to medium-low, and cook 25 to 30 minutes more, stirring every few minutes, until the onions are deep brown and sticky. If they catch before they color, turn the heat down; they should not turn black.
4. 4While the onions cook, toast the cumin seeds in a dry small pan over medium heat for 1 minute, until they smell warm. Grind them to a powder.
5. 5Put the lentils, rice, 5 cups water, salt, pepper and the ground cumin in a large pot with a tight lid. Bring to a boil, stir once, cover, and turn the heat to low.
6. 6Simmer 45 minutes. Water boils at about 203 °F here, so check the rice at 45 minutes and add 5 minutes at a time if it is still firm. Turn off the heat and leave the lid on 10 minutes.
7. 7Fluff with a fork. Stir in the lemon juice and parsley and about two-thirds of the onions. Pile the rest on top and serve warm.