
This Brown Lentils with Carrots, Orzo and caramelized onions dish has been one of my family’s favourite Cypriot dishes for years.
The addition of carrots and serving them with caramelized onions on top, add a lovely sweetness to the dish and an intense depth of flavour.
My mother would make this dish, with any kind of small pasta, instead of adding rice, (see Fakhes Moutjentra) and the first time I ate them with carrots was at my sister Zoe’s house.
I love dried legumes, especially lentils and if I were to chose between a meat dish or a legume dish, I would definitely choose the latter. This is one of the reasons I have made so many twists to the classic Cypriot dish.
This is a very easy dish to prepare and you can make half of the preparation ahead if you like.
However, it is advisable to add the orzo just before serving as like any other pasta, orzo will continue cooking and absorbing the juices from the food and will become dry.
Brown Lentils with Carrots, Orzo and Caramelized Onions
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: about 45 minutes upto 1 hour depending on the lentils
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
- 200 grams brown lentils
- 1 bay leaf
- Water to cover them
- 3 small carrots coarsely grated (about 1 cup)
- 600 ml water
- 400 grams fresh tomatoes, grated
- Salt and freshly grated black pepper
- 1 cup medium orzo (195 grams)
Caramelized onions: Ingredients:
- 4 red onions, cut into slices
- ½ cup olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- A pinch of black pepper
- 1 tablespoon petimezi (grape syrup or molasses)
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Directions:
- Heat the olive oil in a skillet and sauté the onions, stirring regularly for about 15 minutes. When they lightly start to brown remove half of them and set aside.
- Season the remaining with salt and pepper. Add the balsamic vinegar and petimezi (grape syrup) and stir until the juices are absorbed and the onions become caramelized (total time about 30 – 40 minutes).
- Simultaneously put the lentils and bay leaf in a pot and add water to cover them. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes. Strain and discard the bay leaf.
- Put them back in the pot, together with the grated tomato and grated carrots and water. Bring to a boil and simmer until lentils are almost cooked (about 30 minutes). Add the lightly browned onion and continue cooking for fifteen more minutes. (If we started cooking early, at this point we can stop cooking until it is lunch time. All we have to do is to bring it back to a boil again).
- Add orzo and cook for about 15 – 20 minutes, stirring regularly until all juices are absorbed.
- Serve with the caramelized onions on top.

Brown Lentils with Carrots, Orzo and Caramelized Onions
This Brown Lentils with Carrots, Orzo and caramelized onions dish has been one of my family's favourite Cypriot dishes for years.
The addition of carrots and serving them with caramelized onions on top, add a lovely sweetness to the dish and an intense depth of flavour.
Ingredients
- 200 grams brown lentils
- 1 bay leaf
- Water to cover them
- 3 small carrots coarsely grated (about 1 cup)
- 600 ml water
- 400 grams fresh tomatoes, grated
- Salt and freshly grated black pepper
- 1 cup (195 grams) medium orzo
Caramelized onions: Ingredients:
- 4 red onions, cut into slices
- ½ cup olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- A pinch of black pepper
- 1 tablespoon petimezi (grape syrup or molasses)
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a skillet and sauté the onions, stirring regularly for about 15 minutes. When they lightly start to brown remove half of them and set aside.
- Season the remaining with salt and pepper. Add the balsamic vinegar and petimezi (grape syrup) and stir until the juices are absorbed and the onions become caramelized (total time about 30 – 40 minutes).
- Simultaneously put the lentils and bay leaf in a pot and add water to cover them. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes. Strain and discard the bay leaf.
- Put them back in the pot, together with the grated tomato and grated carrots and water. Bring to a boil and simmer until lentils are almost cooked (about 30 minutes). Add the lightly browned onion and continue cooking for fifteen more minutes. (If we started cooking early, at this point we can stop cooking until it is lunch time. All we have to do is to bring it back to a boil again).
- Add orzo and cook for about 15 – 20 minutes, stirring regularly until all juices are absorbed.
- Serve with the caramelized onions on top.
Nutrition Information
Amount Per Serving Calories 609.34Total Fat 28.37gSaturated Fat 3.99gSodium 1190.28mgCarbohydrates 73.94gFiber 10.52gSugar 14.24gProtein 18.38g
You can find many more Greek recipes in my cookbook “More Than A Greek Salad”, and “Mint, Cinnamon & Blossom Water, Flavours of Cyprus, Kopiaste!” both available on all Amazon stores.
Other relevant recipes:
Fakhes Soupa (Greek lentils soup)
Healthy Mediterranean Lentil Salad
Fakhes Moudjentra (Lentils with Rice)
Kopiaste and Kali Orexi,
Simona
Friday 2nd of May 2014
Very nice. I love lentils too. And I like all the flavors in the dish you made.
Angie (
Friday 25th of April 2014
This looks so comforting and delicious, Ivy.
Carole from Carole's Chatter
Friday 25th of April 2014
Hi - lovely lentil dish. Hope you add it to the Food on friday: Lentils collection. Cheers
Rosa
Thursday 24th of April 2014
Scrumptious! I'd love to taste this dish.
Cheers,
Rosa