A Dish for Zeki Alasya | Mucendra (lentils with rice)

Metin Akpinar mentioned a Cypriot[1] dish he prepared for Zeki Alasya as he expressed his memories of him.

Mavi Boncuk | 

A Dish for Zeki Alasya 

Mucendra (lentils with rice)

INGREDIENTS
1 medium onion
Olive oil
3 cups green lentils
1 cup rice
Salt and pepper, to taste

PREPARATION

Dice, and sauté onions in olive oil. Add salt and black pepper to taste.
Add about 8 cups of water, and bring to a boil. Add lentils and lower heat to medium (or less), and simmer covered for about 1/2 hour. You may need to add some more water (depends on how much the lentils have absorbed).
Add the rice, and cook for another 20 minutes. Remove from heat. 

and more...

Molohiya
Serves 4 
   
INGREDIENTS
Molohiya 1 kg chicken, jointed or 1 kg lamb breast, cut into pieces
160 g molohiya -soaked overnight in cold water
150 g (2 medium) onions -skinned and chopped
4 garlic cloves -thickly sliced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 large ripe tomatoes -skinned and chopped
3 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 tablespoon olive oil
Juice of a lemon
Seasoning
900 ml chicken stock

PREPARATION
 
Heat the oil in a large saucepan and fry the chicken pieces for about 15 minutes until golden brown on both sides. Remove the chicken joints and keep them on one side.

Add the chopped onion and the sliced garlic and fry until soft. Return the chicken joints to the pan. Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato paste and the hot chicken stock. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper, add pinch of sugar and stir gently for a minute.

After washing few times with cold water, drain the Molohiya well and add it to the pan. After adding juice of a lemon, stir well and bring to boil. Then cover the pan with the lid and simmer 1-2 hours, until the vegetables are well cooked.

[1] The Turkish-Cypriot cuisine owes its heritage to a mixture of Mediterranean, Southern European and Middle Eastern influences. Local dishes are delicious, particularly the "meze". This is a specialty of Cyprus and consists of a large number of cold and hot hors d'oeuvres such as different salads, meats, vegetable, and fish dishes. It is taken either as an appetiser or a main course. 

Other typical dishes are:

"Yalancı Dolma" (vine leaves stuffed with rice, onions, and tomatoes); "Sish Kebab" (marinated lamb, skewered and grilled over charcoal; "Musakka" (layers of mince, potatoes, and aubergines baked in the oven with cheese topping).