Description
Mujadara is a flavorful Middle Eastern dish combining tender lentils, fragrant basmati rice, and sweet caramelized onions. This wholesome and hearty vegetarian recipe is seasoned with warm spices and fresh herbs, making it a comforting main course or side dish that pairs wonderfully with yogurt and lemon wedges.
Ingredients
Scale
Caramelized Onions
- 4 large onions white or yellow, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon vinegar apple cider or balsamic
Main Ingredients
- 1 cup dried lentils green or brown
- 4 cups water (for cooking lentils)
- 1 teaspoon salt (for cooking lentils)
- ½ cup basmati rice
- 3 cups water (for cooking rice)
- ½ teaspoon salt (for cooking rice)
- 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 the onions thinly, then sauté them in olive oil with salt and sugar for 5 minutes. Add water, simmer on medium-low heat for 20 minutes until the liquid evaporates. Increase heat to high, add vinegar, stir for 2 minutes, then turn off heat and set aside.
- Cook Lentils: Bring 4 cups of water to a boil, add salt and rinsed lentils. Simmer for 30 minutes until tender but intact. Drain and set aside.
- Cook Rice: Bring 3 cups water to boil, add salt and rinsed basmati rice. Boil on low heat for 10 minutes until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- Make Flavor Base: Heat olive oil in a large skillet, sauté chopped scallions for 2 minutes. Add garlic and all spices, sauté for 1 minute until fragrant. Stir in lentils, rice, half of the caramelized onions, parsley, cilantro, salt, and pepper. Sauté for a few minutes until warmed through and combined. Adjust salt to taste.
- Serve: Transfer mujadara to a large platter, top with remaining caramelized onions, scallion tops, and parsley. Serve with lemon wedges and yogurt or tahini sauce. Optionally accompany with a fresh salad like fattoush or cucumber-tomato salad.
Notes
- You can prepare the caramelized onions, lentils, and rice up to 3 days in advance and store in airtight containers in the refrigerator.
- Substitute basmati rice with brown basmati, long grain, jasmine, or regular brown rice for variation.
- Use brown, green, black, or French lentils; canned lentils can be used without cooking if drained and rinsed.
- Store-bought crispy fried onions can replace caramelized onions for convenience.
- Substitute scallions with one regular onion if unavailable.
- Adjust spices to taste or substitute with Lebanese seven-spice mix (Bahārāt) if preferred.
- Fresh mint can replace cilantro if desired.
- Cooked mujadara stores well for 4-5 days refrigerated and can be frozen for up to 3 months. Reheat in microwave or stovetop with olive oil.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 58 g
- Fiber: 15 g
- Protein: 15 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
