Description
Mujadara is a classic Middle Eastern dish featuring a comforting blend of lentils and basmati rice topped with sweet caramelized onions. Enhanced with aromatic spices and fresh herbs, this hearty, vegetarian recipe is perfect as a main dish or a side, served with lemon wedges and Greek yogurt or tahini sauce for added flavor.
Ingredients
Scale
Caramelized Onions
- 4 large onions white or yellow
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon vinegar apple cider or balsamic
Lentils
- 1 cup dried lentils green or brown
- 4 cups water
- 1 teaspoon salt
Rice
- ½ cup basmati rice
- 3 cups water
- ½ teaspoon salt
Flavor Base and Seasoning
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 4 scallions finely chopped (reserve green tops for garnish)
- 2 cloves garlic pressed or grated
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder (optional)
- ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes or more to taste
- ½ teaspoon salt or more to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley chopped
- 2 tablespoons cilantro chopped (optional)
Serving Suggestions
- 4 wedges lemon
- 1 cup yogurt tahini sauce or plain Greek yogurt
Instructions
- Caramelize Onions: Slice 4 large onions thinly (about 1/5 inch or 1/2 cm). Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a pan, add onions with ¾ teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon sugar, sauté for 5 minutes. Add 1 cup water, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes until the liquid evaporates. Increase heat to high, add 1 tablespoon vinegar, stir for 2 minutes. Turn off heat and set aside.
- Cook Lentils: Bring 4 cups water to a boil, add 1 teaspoon salt and rinsed 1 cup dried lentils. Lower heat and simmer for 30 minutes until lentils are tender but hold their shape. Drain and set aside.
- Cook Rice: Bring 3 cups water to a boil, add ½ teaspoon salt and rinsed ½ cup basmati rice. Cook on low heat for 10 minutes until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- Prepare Flavor Base: Heat 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add 4 chopped scallions (reserve green tops for garnish) and sauté for 2 minutes. Add 2 cloves pressed garlic, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon coriander, ½ teaspoon cumin, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder (optional), ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes, and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Combine Ingredients: Add cooked lentils, rice, half of the caramelized onions, 2 tablespoons chopped parsley, 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (optional), ½ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon black pepper to the skillet. Stir and sauté for a few minutes until heated through and well combined. Taste and adjust salt if needed.
- Serve: Transfer mujadara to a large platter, top with remaining caramelized onions, reserved scallion tops, and parsley. Serve with lemon wedges and a bowl of Greek yogurt or yogurt tahini sauce. Pair with a fresh salad such as fattoush, Shirazi, or cucumber-tomato salad if desired.
Notes
- You can caramelize onions, and cook lentils and rice up to 3 days in advance and store them refrigerated in airtight containers for convenience.
- Substitute basmati rice with brown basmati, jasmine, long grain, short grain, or regular brown rice.
- Use any type of lentils such as brown, green, black, French, or canned lentils (drained and rinsed).
- Store-bought crispy fried onions can be used instead of homemade caramelized onions.
- If scallions are unavailable, substitute with one regular onion.
- Adjust spices to taste or substitute the suggested spices with Lebanese seven-spice mix (Bahārāt).
- Cilantro can be substituted with fresh mint for a different flavor.
- Mujadara stores well in the refrigerator for 4-5 days and can be frozen for up to 3 months. Reheat gently in the microwave or on the stovetop with a little olive oil.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 500 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 58 g
- Fiber: 15 g
- Protein: 15 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
