Shabbat had just ended. “What would you like to eat?” the chacham’s wife asked. “It is time for Seudah Revi’it (the third Sabbath meal), the Melaveh Malkah meal, to say goodbye to the Shabbat queen.”
“I would love a plate filled with mejedra,” he replied. “I so enjoy that delicious delicacy of rice, onions and lentils delicately spiced and served together with yogurt!”
“Mejedra?” asked his wife. “It is so time consuming to make, do you really want me to prepare mejedra for you?”
“No, no,” answered her husband. “Of course not. You asked me what I wanted, so I just told you what I was in the mood for, not what I wanted you to bother preparing.” The chacham and his wife laughed together.
Their moment together aws interrupted by a loud knock at the door. The cook of a wealthy Jewish merchant entered the house. She was very upset, and tears streamed down her cheeks.
“My mistress asked me to prepare a pot of mejedra,” she explained. “By mistake, I cooked it in a meat pot, and then added yogurt. Now, my mistress is very angry and wants to fire me, because she says the food is not kosher. I am a widow with four children to feed. Please, chacham, help me. Tell me what to do.”
The holy Chacham asked the cook a few detailed questions to understand exactly how the food had been prepared. After deliberating for a short while he declared, “The mejedra is kosher. There is nothing for you to worry about.”
The cook happily returned to her mistress’ house only to come back fifteen minutes later, knocking on the door. “My mistress did not believe me,” she explained. “My mistress claims that you only said it was kosher so that I would not be fired. She wants you to eat it, to prove that it is, indeed, kosher.”
“Then take my plate back to your mistress’ home,” he told her. “Bring me back a large portion filled with mejedra. You can then tell her that you saw me eat it, and she will understand that the food is kosher.”
After the cook left. The chacham’s wife spoke. “I am happy that you made peace between the cook and her mistress. I am truly amazed that the Holy One, blessed be He provided you with the very delicacy you wanted, at the very moment you said you wanted it.”
The holy chacham and his holy wife were blessed by Heaven because of their love of peace and love for one another. There was truly Shalom Bayit (peace within the home) in their house.
Mejedra
Mejedra, is a Middle Eastern, Sephardic comfort food. Warm and earthy, the slightly sweet and spicy flavor of well done caramelized onions with rice containing lentils is very satisfying. It is often eaten plain, as a side dish, or sometimes with yogurt for a special meal.
INGREDIENTS
1 ½ cups brown rice |
2 strips lemon peel, about 2 inches long each |
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1 cup brown lentils |
2 large onions, peeled and sliced thin |
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2 tsp cumin |
1 tsp kosher salt, more or less to taste |
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1/4 tsp black pepper, more or less to taste |
1-2 tablespoon water |
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1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric |
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon |
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1 1/2 teaspoons ground allspice |
1 teaspoon sugar |
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2 bay leaves |
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley |
INSTRUCTIONS
In a medium saucepan, bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add the lentils. Reduce heat to medium and simmer the lentils till they are tender, but not soft or mushy (about 15 minutes). Remove from heat and drain, then rinse in a colander with cold water.
In a large pot, heat 1/4 cup olive oil till hot enough for frying. Add the rice, olive oil, turmeric, allspice, cinnamon, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and plenty of black pepper. Stir to coat the rice with the oil and then add the cooked lentils and the water. Bring to a boil, cover with a lid, and simmer over very low heat for 15 minutes.
Add 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then carefully pour it over the lentils and rice. Stir, raise heat on the large pot to medium high. Add bay leaves and lemon peel to the pot and bring water to a boil. Cover the pot. Reduce heat and let the rice steam at a low simmer for 20 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed.
Turn off the rice, uncover the pot, fluff the rice with a fork, cover the pot again and let it sit for another 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat up 1 tbsp olive oil in a skillet. Fry the onion slices over medium heat until they are soft and nicely caramelized. Season with salt and pepper.
Fluff the Mejedra with a fork again. Serve topped with the caramelized onions.
If you like the flavor of butter, you can substitute melted butter for olive oil. If you do this, please keep in mind that the dish becomes dairy rather than pareve.
May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)
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Tell it to your children, and let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation. (Joel 1:3)