Lentils With Wild Rice & Crispy Onions (Koshari)

• Tomato Sauce↗
• olive oil↗2 teaspoons
• yellow onion↗1⁄2

  finely chopped

• garlic↗3 cloves

  minced

• tomato sauce↗1 1⁄2 cups
• white vinegar↗3 tablespoons
• red pepper flakes↗1⁄2 teaspoon
• salt↗1⁄4 teaspoon
• Rice and Lentils
• water↗1 3⁄4 cups
• wild rice↗2⁄3 cup
• salt↗3⁄4 teaspoon
• olive oil↗2 tablespoons
• yellow onion↗1⁄2

  finely chopped, plus 1 onion, thinly sliced

• garlic↗3 cloves

  minced

• teaspoon cumin↗3⁄4
• teaspoon cinnamon↗1⁄2
• 2 cups chicken stock or 2 cups broth↗2
• cup brown lentils or 1 cup french green lentil, picked over, rinsed and drained↗1
• fresh cilantro, for garnish or flat-leaf Italian parsley, leaves for garnish↗

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   To make the tomato sauce, in a nonaluminum saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until soft and lightly golden, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute longer; don't let the garlic brown. Stir in the tomato sauce, vinegar, red pepper flakes and salt. When the mixture just begins to bubble, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

2. 2

   In a saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Add the wild rice and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender, about 45 minutes.

3. 3

   In a saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and saute until soft and lightly golden, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin and cinnamon and saute for 1 minute longer; don't let the garlic brown. Add the stock, lentils and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover partially and simmer until the lentils are tender but still firm, about 30 minutes.

4. 4

   While the rice and lentils are cooking, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Add the sliced onion and saute until brown and crispy, about 30 minutes.

5. 5

   To serve, reheat the tomato sauce gently over medium heat. On a serving platter, spread the lentils in a layer; top with a layer of the rice. Pour the tomato sauce over the rice and top with the onion rings. Garnish with the cilantro.