I created this tradition of making Mjaddara during the first week of the year. After days of overeating and drinking during the holidays, and after spending too much, a dish with little ingredients, low effort, and high nutrition. It happened one year that I posted the dish on my instagram story and many messaged me telling me they either made it as well or were planning to make it. Thus declaring the first week of the year to be Mjaddra week. In 2023, I posted the recipe on my blog to make it official.
People in Lebanon, most probably also in other parts of Bilad Al Sham, have a tradition of making a dish that is white in color for the new year. Something with yogurt mostly. Something to signify and manifest a bright year ahead. Italians make something with lentils, for lentils look like coins and that signifies lots of money.
Food photographers: Liz and Max Haarala Hamilton – Food stylist: Valerie Berry – Prop stylist: Aya Nishimura
This year, on the first week of the new year, I was recovering from the super flu. A virus that will wreck your body. Itchy throat, fatigue, drowsiness, cough, and fever. I was barely able to cook anything. I missed cooking something white. I didn’t make Mjaddara. But this past week, someone gave me an idea to make Rishta bi Adas, a dish I have in my book Bayrut The Cookbook. I haven’t made it in a while, probably since the past winter. This has been the coldest this season and I decided to make Rishta without the need to go out and buy anything. I didn’t have flour. I didn’t have wide pasta. Thankfully I had small red lentils and onions and lemons and soup noodles. The dish was made. The dish tasted good. Of course I prefer it with homemade noodles and crispy fried dough on top to give it an extra crunch. But I do not regret it.
Continue reading “Rishta bi Adas (LENTIL STEW WITH HOME-MADE NOODLES)”