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Each month, we feature one recipe we’d love for you to try out. We pick ones that are easy to follow, quick to make and inspire you with fresh ideas and clever combinations that broaden your culinary horizons and show off your cooking skills, at whatever level they are. After you have a go please send us your thoughts and pictures via @timeandleisure and we’ll make sure to share on our socials.

This month it’s one of my weekday regular meals I make for my family. Mujaddara is a lentil and rice main dish which can be used to convert any lentil non believers into devout followers.  This dish is very cheap to make- using store cupboard ingredients-, it’s highly nutritious and the cleaning up after is minimal as you can use one pot from beginning to end.  To top it all off, it’s delicious, with a capital D.

The cookbook this recipe is taken from has only just been published and comes with an important story.  Izzedeen Alkarajeh and Eman Aburabi are a husband and wife couple originally from Beit Jibrin in Palestine but now running an award-winning café in Cork: Izz Cafe.  Through this café they celebrate Palestinian cuisine, culture and hospitality and have now put together the recipes for the food they serve there- in collaboration with chef Habib Alostaz- in a cookbook called Jibrin, after their hometown.  This uplifting book is a compact, colourful and easy to follow guide to Palestinian home-cooking.

JIBRIN by Izzeddeen Alkarajeh and Eman Aburabi (Blasta Books,€17) Illustrations: Ciara Coogan

New this month, and I can’t promise it every month, is the addition of “ANGELA’s SHORTCUTS”.  For me, recipes are there to experiment and be creative with.  Plus I am always looking for ways to cut down on the time and effort of cooking whilst still ensuring the output is up to scratch for my tough audience of tasters; a family which includes two foodie obsessed teenage boys. So, when I have nuggets of wisdom to impart based on my experience with the recipe showcased, I will happily share these with you.  All I ask you to do in return is give the recipe a go and let us know what you think.

ANGELA’S SHORTCUTS:

1. You can use tinned brown or green lentils instead and halve the cooking time for this recipe- if doing this, skip the step that starts with “Pour” and ends in “aside” below.
2.  Ready made tubs of crispy fried onions (from all major supermarkets or oriental food shops) make for a great garnish to this dish.

Angela Zaher is a freelance writer based in London.  Her articles have been published in The Evening Standard, Delicious, Platinum, Good Housekeeping and Business Insider. Find her on instagram @angela_zaher

Mujaddara

Typically served with yogurt or salad, mujaddara’s simplicity and affordability – it’s also called ‘the meat of the poor’ because it’s full of protein – have made it a symbol of comfort and communal dining.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 180g (1 cup) long-grain rice
• 3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
• 4 large onions, halved and thinly sliced
• 1 litre (4¼ cups) water
• 140g (1 cup) dried brown or green lentils
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp ground allspice (optional)
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp ground black pepper

To garnish:

• chopped fresh parsley

To serve:

• natural yogurt
• Gazan salad (see below)
• pickles

Method:

1. Soak the rice in a bowl of cold water for at least 30 minutes, then drain and rinse.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large frying pan over a low heat. Add the sliced onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for 30–45 minutes, until they turn golden brown and caramelised. Set aside half of the caramelised onions for garnish.
3. Pour 720ml (3 cups) of the water in a large heavy-based pot and bring to a boil. Put the lentils into a fine mesh sieve and rinse under cold water, then add to the boiling water. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, until they are tender but not mushy, as you want them to hold their shape. Drain and set aside.
4. Put the drained rice in the same pot that you used for cooking the lentils. Add the remaining 240ml (1 cup) of water along with the cumin, allspice (if using), salt and pepper. Add the cooked lentils and half of the caramelised onions to the pot and stir to combine. Cover the pot and cook on a low heat for 20 minutes, until the rice is tender and the water has all been absorbed.
5. Fluff up the mujaddara with a fork. Transfer to a serving platter and top with the reserved caramelised onions. Drizzle with olive oil and garnish with chopped fresh parsley.
6. Serve with plain yogurt, Gazan salad and pickles on the side for a refreshing contrast. Enjoy warm or at room temperature – the flavours deepen and intensify over time.

TRY THIS:

• Use coarse bulghur wheat instead of rice as a variation.

Gazan salad

Originating in the coastal Gaza Strip, this salad is enjoyed year-round but especially during warmer months. We would also eat this every day during the 30 days of Ramadan. It’s typically eaten as a refreshing side dish or as part of a mezze spread. Gazans use local spices, such as sumac or chilli flakes, to add distinct sharp or spicy undertones. Light yet flavourful, Gazan salad highlights the region’s preference for simple, vibrant dishes and captures the communal aspect of Palestinian dining, where fresh, humble ingredients connect family and friends around shared plates.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

• 1 fresh green chilli, finely diced
• 1 garlic clove, finely diced
• 1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to garnish
• 1 lemon
• 3 ripe tomatoes, finely diced
• ½ cucumber, finely diced
• 1 bunch of fresh dill, chopped
• 1 sprig of fresh mint, leaves chopped, plus extra to garnish
• a pinch of salt

Method:

1. Put the green chilli and garlic in a pestle and mortar and pound together into a paste. Add the olive oil and mix to combine.
2. Cut a small, thin ‘cheek’ off of one side of the lemon, then dice it very finely, rind and all. Add the diced lemon to the pestle and mortar along with the tomatoes, cucumber, dill and mint. Gently crush everything together – you’re not pounding here, as you want the vegetables to keep their texture. Add a pinch of salt and a squeeze of lemon juice, then stir them in with a spoon.
3. Transfer to a serving bowl and finish with a generous drizzle of olive oil. Garnish with a small sprig of mint and serve fresh.

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