mujadara rice

In this classic Middle Eastern Mujaddara recipe, humble lentils and rice are seasoned with warm spices and fried onions for a tasty and satisfying dish!

Mujaddara Recipe: Spiced Lentils, Rice and Fried Onions

brown lentils

vegetable oil

onions

all-purpose flour

olive oil (divided)

cumin seeds

basmati rice

salt

allspice

Cinnamon

sugar

Coriander

turmeric

¼ teaspoon Ground Black Pepper

Place the lentils in a medium saucepan along with enough water to cover by two inches. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, until the lentils have softened slightly but still have some bite to them. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the vegetable oil in a large pot set over medium-high heat to reach a consistent deep-fry temperature (375 degrees). Peel and slice the onions into thin rings. Place the onions in a large bowl and break the rings up with your hands (you should have about six cups). Toss the onions with the flour to evenly coat.

In a 4 quart or larger pot, heat the two teaspoons of olive oil along with the cumin seeds over medium heat for 2 minutes to toast. Stir in the rice, remaining two tablespoons of oil, the allspice, cinnamon, sugar, coriander, and turmeric. Add 1 ¾ cups of water along with the boiled lentils. Allow the mixture to come to a light boil over medium heat, then immediately cover the pot and simmer on the lowest heat setting for 15 minutes.

While the mejadra is cooking, work in batches to fry the onions.  Carefully lower one quarter of the onion rings into the hot oil, a small handful at a time, and fry for 3 to 4 minutes, until deeply brown and crispy. Strain from the oil with a metal utensil and place on a paper towel-lined sheet to drain. Allow the oil to return to deep fry temperature and repeat with remaining onions until all have been fried.

Once the mejadra has simmered for 15 minutes, turn off the heat, quickly wrap the pot lid in a towel and place securely over the mouth of the pot. Allow to steam in the pot for 15 to 20 minutes, until rice and lentils are cooked through.

Stir half of the fried onions into the mejadra mixture. Transfer to a serving plate and top with remaining fried onions. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Mujadara is a naturally vegan Middle-Eastern recipe made with lentils, rice and caramelised onions. Infused with warming spices and served topped with caramelised onions, this fragrant and delicious recipe is great for lunch or a light dinner.

Mujadara (Lebanese Lentils and Rice)

onions,

olive oil

garlic cloves,

300 g (10.5 oz) green lentils

200 g (7 oz) basmati rice

cumin

cinnamon

900 ml (3 1/2 cups) vegetable stock

bay leaves

parsley,

Salt and black pepper

Start by caramelising the onions. Heat 2 tablespoons...

Start by caramelising the onions. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pan over medium heat and add the sliced onions. Stir to cover the onions in oil, season with salt and lower the heat to low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent and softened.

Add the sugar and continue to cook the...

Add the sugar and continue to cook the onions, stirring frequently, until brown and reduced in size. This should take about 30-40 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in another...

Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in another large, deep pan and cook the diced onions for 3-4 minutes over medium heat until slightly softened.

Add the garlic and continue to cook for...

Add the garlic and continue to cook for another minute.

Stir in the lentils, rice, ground cumin, ground...

Stir in the lentils, rice, ground cumin, ground cinnamon, vegetable stock and bay leaves. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Bring to a simmer, then cover the pan...

Bring to a simmer, then cover the pan with a lid and lower the heat to low-medium. Cook for 30 minutes or until the rice and lentils are cooked to your likening.

Stir in the caramelised onions (reserve some for...

Stir in the caramelised onions (reserve some for garnishing) and the parsley. Adjust the seasoning and serve topped with the reserved caramelised onions.

This is a speedy version of the Lebanese dish Mujadara. You really can't go wrong with rice and lentils, which is exactly what this dish is offering. Enjoy.

Mujadara

Shallot

Parsley

Nigella Seed

Greek Yoghurt

Lemon

Cumin Seeds

Brown Rice

Lentil

Finely slice the shallot, then separate the layers. Pour the olive oil into a small frying pan and place onto medium heat. Add the shallot then simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10-15 mins until the shallots turn golden. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the shallots to a plate lined with kitchen paper.

Meanwhile, pick the parsley leaves and finely slice the stalks. Stir the nigella seeds into the yoghurt and season with salt and the juice of half a lemon. Set aside.

Add the cumin seeds and parsley stalks to the hot shallot oil and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Tip the rice and lentils in, stirring to thoroughly mix. Cook until piping hot, 2-3 mins. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Stir half the shallots through, remove from the heat and cover with a lid.

Slice the remaining lemon half into wedges. Toss the parsley leaves through the mujadara and share between bowls. Enjoy with nigella seed yoghurt, your remaining shallots, and a lemon wedge.

Absolutely delicious, with very little effort such a speedy and fragrant dish

Really delicious but super oily, like sort of swimming in oil. I’d omit at least 50% of the oil from the final dish.

We enjoyed this. I should have made the onions a little more crispy.

I liked it but without the nigella seeds in the yoghurt, that taste was not for me.

One of my favourite Lebanese dishes, so I'm incredibly grateful for a quick recipe that tastes great too.

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