Cypriot Lentils & Rice (Moutzentra)
The Cypriot storecupboard classic: soft brown lentils and rice under a heap of deeply caramelised onions, with a fresh tomato-cucumber salad.
Per serving, as written.
A humble one-pot that Cypriot and Greek kitchens have leaned on forever — lentils and rice made rich by onions cooked down until they’re almost jammy. It’s cheap, filling and meat-free, and a cool dollop of yogurt at the end turns it into a genuinely satisfying main — the lactic tang is the classic foil to those sweet caramelised onions.
The lentils do the heavy lifting on protein and fibre, with the yogurt adding a creamy, protein-rich finish, so the place to lighten it is the olive oil: traditionally the onions are caramelised in a very generous pour, which is where a lot of the calories live. Ease the pour back and right-size the rice, and the lentils — the good part — stay untouched, so you keep the dish and lose the excess.
Leftovers are arguably better the next day, cold or gently reheated with a squeeze more lemon.
Ingredients
For the pilaf
- 300 g dried brown or green lentils
- 130 g long-grain rice
- 3 large onions, thinly sliced
- 75 ml olive oil
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- salt and pepper
For the salad
- 2 tomatoes, diced
- 1 cucumber, diced
- 1 small handful fresh coriander, chopped
- 1 small handful fresh mint, chopped
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- salt and pepper
To finish
- 300 g Greek yogurt
Method
- Rinse the lentils, cover them generously with water in a pot, and simmer until just tender but not falling apart, about 20 to 25 minutes. Drain, keeping a mugful of the cooking water.
- While the lentils cook, warm the olive oil in a wide pan over medium heat and add the sliced onions with a pinch of salt. Cook them low and slow, stirring often, until they collapse and turn deep golden brown, about 20 minutes. Lift out about a third of the onions to use as a topping.
- Add the rice and cumin to the onions in the pan and stir for a minute to coat.
- Tip in the drained lentils and about 300 ml of water (top up with the reserved lentil water). Season, bring to a simmer, then cover and cook on low until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Rest off the heat for 5 minutes.
- Toss the tomatoes, cucumber, coriander and mint with the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Serve the pilaf topped with the reserved caramelised onions and a cool dollop of Greek yogurt, with the herby salad alongside.
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