Mujadara

5 from 2 votes

A simple but delicious Middle Eastern lentils and rice recipe, Mujadara comes together with only a few pantry staples. Naturally vegan, this recipe consists of lentils, rice, and perfectly caramelized onions served with a dollop of Greek yogurt. It’s excellent as a main or side dish or any meal of the day.

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Resting Time10

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Middle Eastern

Servings: servings

Calories: 513kcal

Author: Justin Coit

Ingredients

4 medium cloves garlic peeled and smashed
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 ¾ tsp fine sea salt divided
freshly ground black pepper
5 cups water
1 cup basmati rice rinsed and drained
1 cup regular brown or green or mixed lentils rinsed and drained
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium-to-large yellow onions halved and thinly sliced
½ cup thinly sliced green onions from 1 bunch, divided

Garnish

chopped fresh parsley
Greek yogurt

Instructions

In a large pot or dutch oven, add the water, garlic, bay leaves, cumin, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil and then add the lentils and simmer for about 5 minutes until the lentils have softened.
Add the rice and bring the pot back to a strong simmer. Cover, lower heat to the lowest setting, and cook until both the lentils and rice are cooked through, about 15 minutes.
While the rice and lentils are cooking, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the oil. Add the onions and salt and cook until they are caramelized, about 10 to 15 minutes. Set aside on a plate lined with a paper towel to absorb the moisture.
When the rice and lentils are done cooking take the pot off the heat and keep covered for another 10 minutes.
Fluff the lentils and the rice and add the scallions along with some salt and pepper to taste. Top with the onions and chopped parsley. Serve with a side of Greek yogurt.

Video

Notes

Rinse the lentils before cooking to remove any debris and sift through them to be sure there are no hidden stones.
If the onions are getting stuck to the skillet, add a splash of water to it to deglaze the skillet and scrape up the bits. This prevents the onions from burning.
The onions will take a while to caramelize. You’ll need some patience as cranking up the heat won’t make the onions caramelize faster but instead burn them.
You can use brown rice instead of white rice. However, you’ll have to increase the cooking time as brown rice takes longer to cook.
Use vegetable stock instead of water to cook the lentils and rice for additional flavor.

Nutrition