Mercimek çorbası is a comforting and nutritious lentil soup that you may know from Turkish restaurants. Pronounced 'mehr-jee-mek chor-bah-suh', the Cypriot version of the dish (this recipe) uses a generous amount of lemon juice as a key ingredient for a fresh, zesty flavour and bright golden hue. Chopped onions add an earthy fragrance that balances the creamy lentils, while ground black pepper brings gentle warmth. As we use plenty of lemon juice in our recipe, you may wish

Mücendra pilavı is a comforting green lentil and onion rice dish that’s enjoyed across the Middle East and Eastern Mediterranean. The fried onions bring a beautiful aroma, while the lentils add an earthy, buttery flavour and firm texture that balances perfectly with the fluffy rice. Pronounced 'moo-jen-drah' in Turkish, it has various names depending on the region. These include mujadara, mujaddara and moujadara  -  but they all describe variations of the same beloved dish.