I’m making a recipe for a rice and lentil dish which requires a 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon…what is that?? How do I get 1/2 a teaspoon of cinnamon? Do I crush the stick in the blender or what? And another thing, how do I caramelize onions???
and what is semolina???
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You can get ground cinnamon. I've never tried grinding it myself, but I suppose you could try in a food processor?
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R ya making some sorta Kichree or Qaboli ?
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its called mujadarra its an egyptian dish... ok I need some serious help here people... does rice and lentils go with spinach and dill as a second dish with rice pudding as dessert???
Or should i make lentil stuffed tomatoes and spinach and dill with rice pudding as dessert? I'm trying to make a traditional egyptian meal minus meat cuz I dont wanna touch it!
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i think both those combos go well together, now that i’ve read them completely.
if you grind your cinnamon stick in a coffee grinder, it will work beautifully. or you can buy pre-ground cinnamon from any grocery store.
to caramelize onions, you basically chop them up and drop them into some medium hot oil and keep stirring until they go clear and transparenty and a little bit brown.
semolina – Semolina - Wikipedia
i’ve also seen this in grocery stores.
it sounds like you’re cooking for someone, not just yourself. i’d say try it out first and see how it goes before cooking for people? just to see how things taste?
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ok thanks so much!! yeah i have last minute guests and so I want to try the recipe asap before cooking for others.... also... the recipe says to cook something in veg. oil but i only have olive... is it ok to substitute?
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Sabriya i am sure its ok to substitute veg oil with olive oil.
You can grind cinnamon or other spices in coffee grinders. I actually grind mine in a magic bullet.
And if its helpful, semolina is called suji in urdu.
Good luck with your meal!
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R ya making some sorta Kichree or Qaboli ?
You are an expert!
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^ and so is u uncle :D
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ok wait here's a recipe... can someone help me with teh bolded purple parts?
INGREDIENTS:
Place lentils in saucepan and bring to a boil. Allow to simmer on low for 30 minutes, or until tender.
While, lentils are cooking, also cook white rice in 2 cups of water, or according to package directions.
Also, cook macaroni noodles in until al dente.
Combine lentils, rice and macaroni in large pot.
Saute onions and garlic in pan in olive oil until browned.
Add tomato sauce to onions and garlic and heat until bubbling. Remove from heat.
Place a serving of lentil mixture on a plate and cover with sauce. Sprinkle red pepper on top and serve.
Ok al dente... means firm but not hard right... what am I supposed to cook them in.. and in what???? just boil? And lentils.... any kind? Or is it masoor ki daal?
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Well for lentil , i say you should be using Malka masoor kia daal or we call it kharay masoor ki daal ( the orange one ) .
For Macaroni , just boil them in water i say ! Btw why cooking lentil and rice in two separate yokes . Ya can do it in one big one , Bachay ! just let them , wha me ma says , haan Tori dair pani mein bheego kay rakhdo before cooking !
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according to this recipe you are to cook the lentils, rice and macaroni separately in water, then mix them up. when you plate the dish, you are to pour the sauce over the lentil-rice-macaroni mixture.
i don't like the sound of this recipe riya.. but if you are going to make it, i suggest you boil the lentils with a little salt and some minced garlic to flavour the lentils.
as aliyish suggested, if you soak the rice and lentils for 30 mins before cooking, they will cook faster.
you can use masoor ki dal, but if you want a nice mixture, i think goya has a small lentil mixture package, just get that.
finally, you're right, al dente means the macaroni should be firm and not overcooked. al dente is italian for "(firm) to the teeth".
you're cooking a lot these days! do take pics whenever you can and post here.
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Is this a middle eastern recipe because one of my Arab friend made this kind of recipe.
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thanks so much for your help Aliyish and Namkeen! 
Ume-z.. yes its of Egyptian origins… was it any good??
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Well their foods are different and I have developed a taste so I can say it was good. And yes as Namkeen and alyish said use laal masoor ki daal they use it often.
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red daal with macaroni sounds off. i would make it with black beans, macaroni and rice if i had to, unless it actually tastes good with the red daal but i wonder!
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I made it and the guests liked it (I used massar daal) but it was really too pheeka for my taste. I wouldnt advise anyone else to try out this recipe!