Ingredients
1 tablespoon and 2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
2 onions, sliced
1/2 cup USA Pardina lentils
1/2 cup basmati rice
2 cups water
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon cardamom
1 lemon, juiced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 generous pinch salt
Black pepper, to taste
Pita bread for serving
Directions
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until they become very soft and begin to turn brown — about 10 minutes. Add the lentils, rice, and water. Cover and cook 20 minutes. Add the cumin, cinnamon, and cardamom. Stir, and cook uncovered for another 20 minutes or until all of the water has been absorbed and the rice and lentils are both fully cooked. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Season to taste with pepper.
Meanwhile, make the garlic-lemon sauce. Sprinkle the salt over the garlic and use the side of a large knife to mash the two together to form a thick paste. Add this paste to a small dish, along with the lemon juice. Stir together to combine. Whisk in the remaining olive oil.
To serve, spoon the lentil mixture onto a pita. Fold the bread in half over the lentils, using your fingers to press the filling into a compact form (it will be sticky enough to hold together if you apply a little pressure — this will help prevent it from falling out of the pita as you eat it). Spoon the sauce over the lentils or serve on the side for dipping.
(Recipe courtesy of Healthy. Delicious.)