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A bowl of Mujadara, a traditional dish made with lentils and rice garnished with onions.

Mujadara

A comforting dish made with lentils, rice, and caramelized onions, served with lemon and yogurt.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Calories: 350
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the caramelized onions
  • 4 large large onions (white or yellow)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil Use decent olive oil.
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 0.75 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon vinegar (apple cider or balsamic)
For the lentils and rice
  • 1 cup dried lentils (green or brown) Cook with 4 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt.
  • 0.5 cup basmati rice Cook with 3 cups water and 0.5 teaspoon salt.
For the flavor base
  • 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
  • 0.5 teaspoon cumin
  • 0.5 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 0.5 teaspoon turmeric powder (optional) Not traditional.
  • 0.125 teaspoon red pepper flakes Adjust to taste.
  • 0.5 teaspoon salt Adjust to taste.
  • 0.125 teaspoon black pepper
For serving
  • 2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley (chopped)
  • 2 tablespoons cilantro (chopped, optional)
  • 4 wedges lemon
  • 1 cup yogurt tahini sauce (or plain Greek yogurt)

Method
 

Caramelizing the onions
  1. Slice 4 large onions thinly (1/5 inch or 1/2 cm). Sauté in 1 tablespoon olive oil with ¾ teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon sugar for 5 minutes.
  2. Add 1 cup water, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 20 minutes until liquid evaporates.
  3. Increase heat to high, add 1 tablespoon vinegar, and stir for 2 minutes. Turn off heat and set aside.
Cooking lentils
  1. Boil 4 cups of water per 1 cup of lentils. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 cup dried lentils (rinsed). Simmer for 15-30 minutes until tender but intact. Drain and set aside.
Cooking rice
  1. Boil 3 cups of water per ½ cup of rice. Add ½ teaspoon of salt and ½ cup basmati rice (rinsed). Boil on low heat for 8-10 minutes until al dente. Drain and set aside.
Making the flavor base
  1. Heat 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet. Add 4 scallions (chopped, save the tops for garnishing) and sauté for 2 minutes.
  2. Add 2 cloves garlic (pressed), 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon coriander, ½ teaspoon cumin, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, and ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes. Sauté one more minute or until fragrant.
  3. Stir in lentils, rice, ½ of the caramelized onions, 2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, and 2 tablespoons cilantro (chopped), ½ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon black pepper. Sauté until everything is warm and well combined. Adjust for salt.
Serving suggestions
  1. Serve on a large platter, topped with the remaining caramelized onions, scallion tops, and parsley. Add lemon wedges and a bowl of Greek-style yogurt or yogurt tahini sauce.

Notes

Mujadara improves in the fridge, reheat gently with a splash of water and extra lemon.