Majadra

Directions

1. 1
   Rinse the rice and drain it.
2. 2
   Heat the 2 tbs olive oil at the bottom of a cooking pot and add the rice, stirring to coat the grains with oil.
3. 3
   When rice is transparent, or after a minute or two, add the garlic. Stir half a minute and add salt and then the 3 cups of boiling water.
4. 4
   Bring it back to a boil, then cover and lower the flame to lowest setting. Cook the rice until the water is evaporated and the rice is tender.
5. 5
   Set aside the rice.
6. 6
   Pick over the lentils and rinse. Simmer them in the water with the bay leaf until they are soft but not mushy, probably 30-40 minutes. You can add more water if they are drying out but need more time to cook. When they are done, drain if there is any leftover water.
7. 7
   Add salt to flavor the lentils when they are done and remove the bay leaf. Set aside. (You can probably do the rice and lentils mostly at the same time).
8. 8
   Slice the onions very thin.
9. 9
   Caramelize the onions in the 2 tbs olive oil, on a very low flame, until they are soft and golden, not brown and crisp.
10. 10
    Add the cumin, cinnamon, salt and pepper to the onions.
11. 11
    Now combine: fluff the rice with a fork. Add the lentils and stir. Stir in some of the onions and perhaps leave some to go on the top.