Turkish Style Braised Leeks

Original recipe from Aliye over at beachgreens...

Turkish Style Braised Leeks
A large amount of my vegetable cooking skills come from my Turkish heritage. There is an entire category of dishes in Turkish cuisine called 'Zeytinyagli', or 'With Olive Oil.' These are basically simple preparations of seasonal vegetables slow cooked in Olive Oil.
I love the preparation of leeks, partly because people think of leeks as a small part of a dish, not necessarily the star. The simple few ingredients in this dish create something amazingly delicious and comforting. Make sure you use your best olive oil for this dish.

Serves: 2-3
Preparation Time: 45 minutes

1/3 cup olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 large carrot, or 2 small, cut into half moons or rounds
3-4 leeks, white and light green parts only, thoroughly cleaned, and cut into 1/3 inch rounds
2/3 cup water
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt to taste
3 Tablespoons white rice
Juice ½ lemon

Heat olive oil in a pot over medium heat and add onion, cook until starting to soften. Add carrot and cook until starting to soften. Add leeks and stir for a couple of minutes. Add water, sugar and salt. When the water boils, add rice and lemon juice. Cook, covered, on low heat, until rice is cooked through, about 20 minutes.
This is best served cold, or at room temperature with a squeeze of lemon and a slice of crusty bread.