Rice with Lentils

The proverbial poor man’s dish, it took me quite a few years before I started appreciating it; now I can eat m’jaddara with a simple tomato salad on the side any day.

There are two types of lentil grains, flat ones and round ones, known as adas baladi. The latter are tastier and cook faster. I always opt for the baladi though they need more attention to come out just right.

Just as in the other rice dishes, the cooking water of the lentils should be tota