Cypriot lentils with rice - Fakes moutzentra
Cypriot lentils with rice are known to the locals as fakes (lentils) moutzentra. It’s a traditional Cypriot dish enjoyed for the nourishment and tastiness it provides. A peasant type of food with very simple ingredients.
I remember enjoying fakes moutzentra at two houses other than our own. First was at my grandmother’s house where she would allocate me the task of cleaning out the lentils from any stones or inconsistent lentils. She would place the lentils on a woven bamboo tray (like the one below) on the kitchen bench for me, while she would carry on with the rest of the prep. The second was at one of our friend’s house at our village where I would sometimes go after school until my parents got home. I have a clear image of me sitting on the verandah enjoying a bowl or two of these Cypriot lentils with rice!
The origins of this dish
Up until earlier last year I thought moutzentra was purely a traditional Cypriot dish but it came to my attention that there is a dish as such in the Middle Eastern cuisine. There are a lot of variations to the name depending on which country it is from, such as mujaddara, mudarrdara or mjaddara. The Cypriot cuisine is heavily influenced by the Middle Eastern flavours and this dish seems to be no exception.
Ingredients needed
The ingredients for the Cypriot lentils with rice are very few. The flavour is elevated by adding lemon juice, caramelized onions and the fragrant fresh coriander, which I personally love to stir through (or you may choose to add parsley).
Moutzentra can be made with green or brown lentils, depending on what you can find. Brown lentils are slightly smaller and they require a slightly less cooking time. However, both types of lentils do not require soaking in water before cooking, unlike other legumes.
Usually the Middle Eastern recipes for this dish include fried onions to garnish on top as well as the caramelized onions. It is not something typically done the Cypriot way but it is an option if you like for extra texture. Also, the use of red onions instead of brown onions is my personal preference. That is because I find they turn out sweeter and I can digest them a bit better, especially seeing that there are quite a lot of onions added.
The consistency of the Cypriot lentils with rice typically is quite runny. However I prefer to make it so that the lentils and rice are still somewhat intact and the water mostly absorbed. So if you like a smoother texture, then you may add more water than I suggest when you cook the lentils with the rice.
Accompaniments
Since young, whenever we ate lentils yoghurt was always an accompaniment. However as I have mentioned in a previous blog post, I found out that the calcium in yoghurt actually prevents iron (found in lentils) to be reabsorbed. Vitamin C helps though, which I guess the previous generations knew something about, as lemon juice is added in “fakes moutzentra”. Pickled sides are also beneficial for the same purpose so I have been adding them on the table as well as olives which we all enjoy!
For more vegetarian/vegan creations, traditional and non, check out this link!
