Sakhir GP (Bahrain 2) 2020: Mujadara
Somehow despite the odds, this F1 season came together and will have completed 17 races after next weekend’s final race in Abu Dhabi. Formula 1 made it happen, and we are here at the penultimate race of this crazy season, feeling particularly grateful. Grateful that we had something to look forward to so many weekends in this crazy year, grateful for the food on our table, grateful for the safety and care of a sport that has come so far since its early days, and grateful for the season coming to a close to allow everyone a chance to take a break, be home and safe for the holidays, and hopefully a chance to continue to reflect on everything 2020 has highlighted and shown as ways we can all be better and do better.
I hope you too have a chance to reflect and count your moments and feelings of gratitude. This has been a very difficult year in so many ways, for everyone. No one has been left unscathed by the events and challenges of 2020. But, as Lewis so rightly states, Still We Rise. I have hope and determination that going forward we lift up each other, we continue to push forward, and we continue to rise.
For the second race in Bahrain I wanted something warm and savory for these cold December nights. This is one of those meals that is definitely more than the sum of its parts. Rice, lentils, onions… simple ingredients with some classic spices mixed in… when brought together are so much more. This is a properly hearty vegetarian meal. The dish itself is really quite good on its own but is taken to another level with the addition of some super quick-to-make shatta (Middle Eastern hot sauce) and a little lemony yogurt. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.
Serve this hearty main with a bright salad such as this Beet and Leek Salad with arugula and a spicy tangy dressing.
Mujadara (Lentils and Rice with Caramelized Onions)
Adapted from Cookie and Kate
4 medium cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 ¾ teaspoons fine sea salt, divided
Freshly ground black pepper
5 cups water
1 cup brown basmati rice, rinsed and drained
1 cup brown or green lentils, picked over for debris, rinsed and drained
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 medium-to-large yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon flour
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro or flat-leaf parsley, divided
Plain whole-milk or Greek yogurt, for serving (optional)
Spicy sauce, for serving: shatta recipe below
1. In a large Dutch oven or soup pot, combine the garlic, bay leaves, cumin, 1 ½ teaspoons of the salt and about a teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper. Add the water and bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat.
2. Once boiling, stir in the rice and reduce the heat to medium. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally and adjusting the heat as necessary to maintain a controlled simmer, for 20 minutes.
3. Stir in the lentils and spices and let the mixture return to a simmer. Cover again, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook until the liquid is absorbed and the rice and lentils are tender about 10 to 15 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, mix the sliced onion with the flour and a pinch of salt in a large bowl.
5. Warm the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When it’s warm enough that a slice of onion sizzles on contact, cook the onions in two batches.
6. Stir the onions only every 3 minutes to start, then more often once the onions at the edges of the pan start browning. Cook until the onions are deeply caramelized and starting to crisp at the edges, about 20 minutes. In the meantime, line a large plate or cutting board with a couple of paper towels.
7. Using a slotted spoon or fish spatula, transfer the onions to the lined plate and spread them evenly across. Sprinkle the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt over the onions. They’ll crisp up as they cool.
8. When the lentils and rice are done cooking, drain off any excess water (if there is any) and return the mixture to the pot, off the heat. Lay a kitchen towel across the top of the pot to absorb steam, then cover the pot and let it rest for 10 minutes.
9. Remove the lid, discard the bay leaves, add about ¾ of the cilantro, reserving the rest for garnish. Gently stir and fluff the rice with a fork. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper, if necessary.
10. Transfer the rice and lentil mixture to a large serving platter or bowl. Top with the caramelized onions and the remaining cilantro. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature, with yogurt and spicy sauce on the side.
Shatta (Middle Eastern Hot Sauce)
¼ cup loosely packed fresh parsley leaves
¼ cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves
¼ cup raw walnuts or pepitas
4 cloves garlic
1 ¼ teaspoons fine sea salt (scale back to 1 teaspoon if using regular table salt)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
10 twists of freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sherry vinegar
8 ounces fresh jalapeño peppers (about 6 medium-to-large), sliced into chunks
⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1. In a food processor, combine everything but the jalapeños and olive oil. Blend until the ingredients are finely chopped, pausing to scrape down the sides as necessary.
2. Add the jalapeños and pulse until the peppers are finely chopped, but not completely obliterated.
3. Stir the olive oil into the sauce by hand, and transfer to a bowl for serving. If the sauce is outrageously spicy at first, give it a 30-minute rest or longer—it usually mellows out a bit.
This sauce keeps well in the refrigerator, covered, for 1 to 2 weeks.