Muceddere "Moo-Jeh-Deh-Reh"

* Rice Pilaf with Chickpeas, Lentils and Caramelized Onions ** orzo is a rice-shaped pasta available in most supermarkets or in specialty stores. If using dried chickpeas, soak them overnight. The next day, drain them and in a small pan bring them to a boil in 1 cup water with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Lower the heat and simmer 45 minutes, until just tender. At the same time, cook the dried lentils in another pan with 2/3 cup water. Bring to a boil, then simmer until just tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. In a heavy, medium-size saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions and sugar, and season with salt and pepper. Cover the saucepan and cook gently for 5 minutes, or until the onions are tender. Uncover the pan, increase the heat to high, and stir in the lemon juice. Cook, stirring, until the onions are browned. Add the rice and orzo, and cook, stirring for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, lentils, chickpeas, cumin and Turkish red pepper. Pour in the stock. Lower the heat, cover the saucepan and cook gently for about 20 minutes, or until all the liquid has been absorbed. Stir in the parsley and let the pilaf stand, covered, in a warm place for 5 minutes; then serve. Garlic Yogurt Sauce: In a small bowl, whisk the yogurt, garlic and salt until the mixture is very smooth. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the sauce for at least 15 minutes to allow the flavor of the garlic to blend with the yogurt. Notes: The onions in this speciality of eastern Turkey make it smell wonderful, and the chickpeas and lentils make it tasty and nutritious. It is also a good vegetarian entree that can be served cold with plain yogurt or garlic yogurt sauce, recipe above. From: The Sultans Kitchen, A Turkish Cookbook, by Ozcan Ozan : published by Tuttle. : As Heard on THE WORLD, Thursday, July 2, 1998 From: The World Website, (PRI), http://www.theworld.org, converted by MM_Buster v2.0m. Posted to MM-Recipes Digest by Steve Zielinski <stevez@ripco.com> on Nov 27, 1998