Welcome to another day of VeganMoFo, the month of vegan food. VeganMoFo is an annual event where bloggers from all over the globe dedicate themselves and their blogs to posting about vegan food every day for a month. This year, The “V” Word is highlighting vegan products that are worth talking about, writing about, buying, eating and spreading the word about. And if any products inspired recipes, I will share that as well.
Today the focus is on So Delicious Dairy Free Cultured products. I know what you’re thinking, didn’t you just read a blog post on The “V” Word about So Delicious? Yes, you did but So Delicious Dairy Free makes so many amazing products that there is always something to write about.
The “V” Word has reviewed and made recipes with So Delicious Dairy-Free Frozen Desserts, Cashew Milk, Seasonal Coconut Milk products and my favorite product of all time, Culinary Coconut Milk. In fact, just last month I shared a fairy tale with you about a genie, a wish, a lifetime supply of culinary milk and a new recipe for Spicy Alfredo Sauce. I also entered a contest with five of my recipes that used a So Delicious Dairy-Free product though I didn’t win.
Back to the So Delicious Dairy-Free Cultured products or yogurt. I always loved yogurt, both for eating and for cooking. So Delicious Dairy-Free makes yogurt in your choice of cultured coconut milk or cultured almond milk. Both are creamy and yummy. All of So Delicious’ products are 100% vegan, gluten-free and soy-free.
If you choose cultured coconut milk, you have your pick of plain, raspberry, strawberry, strawberry-banana, vanilla, blueberry, chocolate, passionate mango and pina colada flavors.
Want your yogurt unsweetened? Choose from plain or vanilla unsweetened cultured coconut milk.
Into Greek yogurt? So Delicious has you covered with plain, vanilla, raspberry, strawberry, blueberry and chocolate Greek yogurt flavors.
On the other hand, if you choose cultured almond milk, select from plain, blueberry, strawberry, vanilla, and chocolate. The cultured almond milk also comes in Greek-style yogurt flavors – plain, vanilla, strawberry, blueberry, and chocolate.
I decided to put the So Delicious Cultured Almond Milk to good use and make a Yogurt-Lemon Sauce to top a new recipe I was excited to try called Mujaddara.
According to Wikipedia, Mujaddara is an ancient dish that has been traced back to a cookbook from 1226 in Iraq. The dish is made with lentils and rice and was considered a dish eaten by the poor. It is a popular dish during Lent and among Jews of Syrian and Egyptian backgrounds, it is nicknamed “Esau’s favorite” and eaten hot or cold. It is thought to be a version of the dish Jacob made and sold to his brother, Esau, for his birthright. In the Arab world, there is a saying that “A hungry man would be willing to sell his soul for a dish of mujaddara.” I totally get that; this dish is delicious.
Mujaddara is popular throughout the Arab world with regional variations. It is usually made with brown or green lentils and rice, warm spices and topped with fried onions. A yogurt sauce is drizzled on top of the dish.
It’s a hearty dish, filling and satisfying. The lentils and rice are seasoned with cumin, coriander, cinnamon and allspice so it’s packed with warm flavors. The fried onions get mixed into the dish as well as tossed on top so you get fried, crunchy goodness throughout. The yogurt-lemon sauce adds a tangy, cool element against the spiciness.
One thing to note: because I use brown rice which takes 45 minutes to cook and lentils only take 20 minutes, I made them separately and then combined them later. If you use white rice which takes about the same time as lentils to cook, you can make them together in one pot and there is no need to divide up the spices.
We all happily ate this dish and the leftovers were just as delicious, if not more, the next day. Mujaddara will certainly be in the rotation of regular dishes in my house. If this is considered peasant food, the rich can keep their meals and give me more mujaddara. Try this dish and when you have to choose a yogurt for the sauce, be sure to get So Delicious Dairy Free Cultured Milk in either coconut or almond.
Be sure to visit The “V” Word every day this month for more VeganMoFo and vegan products I love (and a few recipes too)! Enjoy!
Mujaddara (Rice and Lentils with Crispy Onions and Lemon-Yogurt Sauce)
GF, SF
For the Lemon-Yogurt Sauce
1 cup plain, non-dairy yogurt like So Delicious Dairy Free Cultured Almond Milk
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced or grated
½ tsp. kosher salt
For the Crispy Onions
3 large onions, sliced into half-moons
2 tsp. kosher salt
2 Tbs. arrowroot powder
Vegetable oil for frying
For the Rice and Lentils
1 Tbs. vegetable oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. + 1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. + 1 tsp. ground coriander
½ tsp. + ½ tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. + ½ tsp. allspice
¼ tsp. + ¼ tsp. black pepper
Cayenne pepper
Kosher salt to taste
2 cups brown rice
2 cups brown lentils
1 cup green peas
3 Tbs. fresh cilantro or parsley, minced
For the yogurt sauce: In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, lemon juice, garlic and salt. Mix well. Taste for any seasoning adjustments. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
For the crispy onions: Place the onion slices in a colander and sprinkle with salt. Let them sit about 10 minutes while they release water. Rinse the onions with cold water and pat them dry with a towel until they are completely dry. Toss the onions in the arrowroot powder.
Heat an inch of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add half the onions to the skillet and fry them until they are browned and crisp. Use 2 forks to pull them apart if they start to stick. Transfer them to a paper towel-lined plate and sprinkle with salt. Repeat with the second half of the onions. Try not to munch on too many because you really want these in the dish. Reserve the oil for cooking the rice.
To make the rice and lentils: Heat 2 Tbs. of the reserved onion oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic cloves, 1 tsp. each cumin and coriander, ½ tsp. each cinnamon and allspice, ¼ tsp. black pepper and a dash of cayenne pepper. Mix the spices into the oil. Add the rice and toss to coat in the oil and spices. Cook for 2 minutes and then add 3 ½ cups of water. Bring the water to a boil, stir the rice, cover the pot and reduce the heat to low. Cook the rice for 30 minutes or until the water is absorbed. Shut the heat and let the rice sit, covered, for 10 minutes. Uncover and fluff with a fork.
Rinse the lentils in a colander and pick out any pebbles or debris. Add the lentils to a large saucepan. Mix in 1 tsp. each kosher salt, cumin and coriander, ½ tsp. each cinnamon and allspice, ¼ tsp. black pepper and a dash of cayenne pepper. Add 4 ½ cups of water to the pot, stir the lentils and bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower the heat and let the lentils simmer, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes until they are tender but not mushy. Drain the lentils and add them to the pot of brown rice.
Stir together the lentils and the brown rice in one pot over medium heat. Add in the peas and ½ of the crispy onions. Cook just until the peas have heated through and then shut the heat. Stir in some of the cilantro or parsley and reserve some for garnish.
Serve the rice and lentil mixture in bowls. Top with more crispy onions and garnish with the remaining cilantro or parsley. Drizzle the lemon-yogurt sauce on top.
The “V” Word: Say it. Eat it. Live it.
- For the Lemon-Yogurt Sauce
- 1 cup plain, non-dairy yogurt
- 2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
- 1 garlic clove, minced or grated
- ½ tsp. kosher salt
- For the Crispy Onions
- 3 large onions, sliced into half-moons
- 2 tsp. kosher salt
- 2 Tbs. arrowroot powder
- Vegetable oil for frying
- For the Rice and Lentils
- 1 Tbs. vegetable oil
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp. + 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 tsp. + 1 tsp. ground coriander
- ½ tsp. + ½ tsp. cinnamon
- ½ tsp. + ½ tsp. allspice
- ¼ tsp. + ¼ tsp. black pepper
- Cayenne pepper
- Kosher salt to taste
- 2 cups brown rice
- 2 cups brown lentils
- 1 cup green peas
- 3 Tbs. fresh cilantro or parsley, minced
- For the yogurt sauce: In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, lemon juice, garlic and salt. Mix well. Taste for any seasoning adjustments. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
- For the crispy onions: Place the onion slices in a colander and sprinkle with salt. Let them sit about 10 minutes while they release water. Rinse the onions with cold water and pat them dry with a towel until they are completely dry. Toss the onions in the arrowroot powder.
- Heat an inch of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add half the onions to the skillet and fry them until they are browned and crisp. Use 2 forks to pull them apart if they start to stick. Transfer them to a paper towel-lined plate and sprinkle with salt. Repeat with the second half of the onions. Try not to munch on too many because you really want these in the dish. Reserve the oil for cooking the rice.
- To make the rice and lentils: Heat 2 Tbs. of the reserved onion oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic cloves, 1 tsp. each cumin and coriander, ½ tsp. each cinnamon and allspice, ¼ tsp. black pepper and a dash of cayenne pepper. Mix the spices into the oil. Add the rice and toss to coat in the oil and spices. Cook for 2 minutes and then add 3 ½ cups of water. Bring the water to a boil, stir the rice, cover the pot and reduce the heat to low. Cook the rice for 30 minutes or until the water is absorbed. Shut the heat and let the rice sit, covered, for 10 minutes. Uncover and fluff with a fork.
- Rinse the lentils in a colander and pick out any pebbles or debris. Add the lentils to a large saucepan. Mix in 1 tsp. each kosher salt, cumin and coriander, ½ tsp. each cinnamon and allspice, ¼ tsp. black pepper and a dash of cayenne pepper. Add 4 ½ cups of water to the pot, stir the lentils and bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower the heat and let the lentils simmer, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes until they are tender but not mushy. Drain the lentils and add them to the pot of brown rice.
- Stir together the lentils and the brown rice in one pot over medium heat. Add in the peas and ½ of the crispy onions. Cook just until the peas have heated through and then shut the heat. Stir in some of the cilantro or parsley and reserve some for garnish.
- Serve the rice and lentil mixture in bowls. Top with more crispy onions and garnish with the remaining cilantro or parsley. Drizzle the lemon-yogurt sauce on top.
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