Lentil and Rice Stuffed Onions

Servings: 4 · Prep: 45 min · Cook: 100 min · Total: 155 min

Ingredients

• 4 each Yellow onions
• 1 cup Green lentils, dry
• 1/2 cup Long-grain white rice, dry
• 1/2 cup Fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup Fresh mint
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Ground cumin
• 2 cups Canned crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup Low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 each English cucumber
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/4 cup Olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Fine salt
• 17 cups Water

Equipment

Oven; Measuring Cups; Measuring Spoons; Cutting Board; Chef’s knife; Fine-mesh strainer; Medium saucepan; Aluminum foil; Slotted spoon; Mixing spoon; Mixing bowls; Small saucepan with lid; food thermometer; produce brush; 6- to 8-quart pot; 9-by-13-inch baking dish, at least 3 quarts; oven; measuring cups; measuring spoons; cutting board; chef’s knife; fine-mesh strainer; medium saucepan; aluminum foil; slotted spoon; mixing spoon; mixing bowls; small saucepan with lid

Steps

1. Clean and prepare the produce. Wash your hands and clean the work surface. Rinse the onions, cucumber, lemon and herbs under running water before preparing them. Scrub the cucumber and lemon with a clean produce brush, remove damaged areas and dry the produce.
   • 4 Each yellow onion
   • 1/2 cup parsley — finely chopped
   • 1/4 cup mint — finely chopped
   • 1 Each english cucumber
   • 3 tablespoons lemon juice — freshly squeezed
2. Simmer the lentils. Put the lentils and their 4 cups water in the medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently, uncovered, for 20–30 minutes. Begin checking at 20 minutes: the lentils should be tender throughout but still hold their shape. Drain thoroughly.
   • 1 cup green lentils — picked over and rinsed
   • 4 cups Water

   Drain the cooked lentils carefully to avoid splashes of hot water and steam.

3. Cook and rest the rice. Meanwhile, combine the rice and its 1 cup water in the small saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 18 minutes, until the water is absorbed. Remove from the heat and leave covered for 10 minutes, then gently loosen the grains.
   • 1/2 cup long-grain white rice — rinsed and drained
   • 1 cup Water
4. Prepare the onions. While the grains cook, bring the remaining 12 cups water to a boil in the large pot. Peel the onions and trim their tops and root ends. Cut a single lengthwise slit down one side of each onion, from top to bottom, stopping at the center rather than cutting all the way through.
   • 4 Each yellow onion
   • 12 cups Water
5. Soften and separate the onion layers. Lower the onions into the boiling water. Reduce to a steady simmer and cook for 20–25 minutes, turning them occasionally, until the outer layers are flexible. Lift them out with the slotted spoon and let cool until comfortable to handle. Gently peel away individual layers along the slit, keeping each wrapper intact. Reserve the 20 largest usable layers. If an inner section resists separating, return it to the same simmering water for another 3–5 minutes before trying again.
   • 4 Each yellow onion

   Let the boiled onions cool until comfortable to handle before separating their layers.

6. Mix the filling. Heat the oven to 375°F. Finely chop the remaining onion centers and small layers. Measure 1/2 cup chopped onion into a mixing bowl and reserve the rest for the sauce. Add the drained lentils, cooked rice, parsley, 3 tablespoons mint, cumin, 2 tablespoons olive oil and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Fold together gently without crushing the lentils.
   • 1/2 cup parsley — finely chopped
   • 3 tablespoons mint — finely chopped
   • 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
   • 2 tablespoons olive oil
   • 3/4 teaspoon salt
7. Prepare the tomato sauce. In another bowl, stir together the crushed tomatoes, vegetable broth, remaining chopped onion, 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Spread 1 cup of this sauce across the bottom of the baking dish.
   • 2 cups crushed tomatoes
   • 1 cup vegetable broth
   • 1 tablespoon olive oil
   • 1/2 teaspoon salt
8. Fill and roll the onion parcels. Lay an onion wrapper open on the cutting board. Place approximately 1/4 cup filling near one end, then roll the layer around it so the edges overlap. Repeat with the remaining wrappers, dividing all the filling among the 20 parcels. Arrange them snugly in one layer in the baking dish, seam-side down.
9. Bake and check doneness. Spoon the remaining sauce over and around the parcels. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 60 minutes. Carefully lift a corner of the foil and test a thick onion layer with the tip of a knife. Check the temperature at the center of the filling in several parcels, including those at the center of the dish, with a food thermometer. If an onion layer still resists or any filling temperature is below 165°F (74°C), cover again and bake for another 10–15 minutes, then recheck. Continue baking covered until the onions are completely tender, the sauce is bubbling and the filling in all checked parcels reaches at least 165°F (74°C). Clean the thermometer after use. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

   Lift the foil away from your face to avoid hot steam.

10. Make the cucumber-lemon salad. During the final minutes of baking, halve the cucumber lengthwise and cut it into thin half-moons. Toss with the lemon juice, remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, remaining 1 tablespoon mint and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt.
    • 1 Each english cucumber
    • 3 tablespoons lemon juice — freshly squeezed
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 1 tablespoon mint — finely chopped
    • 1/4 teaspoon salt
11. Serve the parcels and salad. Serve 5 onion parcels per person, spooning the tomato sauce over them. Divide the cucumber salad evenly among all four portions.

https://plumtally.com/recipes/lentil-and-rice-stuffed-onions-rz48x5woofvu