Cobargo Cooks for Syria

At Well Thumbed Books last month we celebrated Syrian food with a view to helping the displaced children of war-torn Syria. We raised over $1200 in not much more than an hour, feeding a pop-up crowd of very generous donors.
We were inspired by the fund-raising concept of CookForSYRIA. Their story first started as a simple supper club, where a group of foodie friends came together to enjoy Syrian cuisine and to raise money to help UNICEF protect Syrian children. Now it’s a global movement.
After seven years of war, children and families in Syria still face violence, displacement, disease and starvation, with nearly two million children living in besieged or hard-to-reach areas. Another 2.6 million children are now living in precarious conditions as refugees in neighbouring Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt and Iraq. There is no sign that war is ending.

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This recipe is a basic staple served regularly in the camps. Can be eaten hot, cold or room temperature, with salad accompaniments or as a side dish to other main dishes.

250g brown lentils
500g coarse bulgur wheat
Olive oil
2 brown onions, peeled and sliced into half moons

Rinse the lentils and place in a large saucepan with cold water. Over a medium heat, bring to a simmer then reduce the heat to low. Cook for 30 mins or until tender.
Add the bulgur wheat, stir and top up with cold water until a tablespoon stays up when inserted straight into the lentils and bulgur. Cover and leave to cook until all the water is evaporated. You can check this by inserting a knife, moving it to one side and looking at the bottom of the pan. Season with plenty of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add a generous glug or two of olive oil and fry for a few minutes, stirring occasionally.
While the lentils are cooking, fry the onions in a large pan over a low heat with a generous glug of olive oil. Stir occasionally. Cook for at least 30 mins until caramelised. Put the Mugadara in a large dish and arrange the onions over the top.