It features boiled lentils and rice flavored with warm spices, caramelized onions, and fresh herbs. You’ll love our Mujaddara recipe because it’s easy to make with simple ingredients, packed with flavor, nourishing, and satisfying. Like other recipes from the region – think of falafel, hummus, fatteh, and spinach stew – mujadara uses legumes such as lentils as the primary protein. The combination of spices will remind you of other Mediterranean recipes, such as Moroccan lentil soup, Harira soup, stuffed bell peppers, and stuffed tomatoes. Its warm flavor and texture pair perfectly with cold, creamy dressings like yogurt tahini sauce and tzatziki sauce. For our mujadara version, we took inspiration from a Lebanese variant called mudardara. The cooked lentils and rice are combined with spices (traditionally, a Lebanese seven-spice mix called Bahārāt is used) and pan-fried onions. And while our recipe might not be the original you would find on the streets of Beirut or Baghdad, it’s a delicious interpretation you’ll love because it’s colorful, tasty, and easy to make. The ingredients for mujadara are green or brown lentils, basmati rice, and caramelized onions, which you can make with olive oil, onions, sugar, vinegar, water, and salt. For spices, you’ll need coriander, paprika, cumin, cinnamon, red pepper flakes, and turmeric (not traditional, but recommended for a beautiful golden color). You’ll also need scallions, garlic, parsley, cilantro (optional), and lemon juice.
1. Caramelize the onions
Peel and cut the onions into ⅕ inch or ½ cm slices and sauté them with olive oil, salt, and sugar in a large skillet on medium heat for 5 minutes. Stir often. Add water, lower the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 20 minutes until the liquid is completely gone and the sliced onions are golden and soft. Stir occasionally. Set the stove to high heat and add the vinegar. Stir for 2 minutes, then turn the heat off and set aside. Tip: the onions cook mostly on their own, so you can proceed to the next steps as they simmer.
2. Cook the lentils
Bring a pot with plenty of water to a boil. For 1 cup of dried lentils, consider 4 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt. Add rinsed dried lentils and a teaspoon of salt and simmer for 15 to 30 minutes, or until they are tender but hold their shape. Drain and set aside.
3. Cook the rice
Bring a small pot with plenty of water to a boil. For 1/2 cup rice, consider 3 cups water and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add rinsed basmati rice and boil it on low heat for 8 to 10 minutes or until it is cooked but with a bite. Drain and set aside.
4. Mix with spices
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add chopped green onions (save the tops for garnishing) and sauté for 2 minutes. Add pressed garlic, red pepper flakes, ground cumin, ground coriander, cinnamon, paprika, and turmeric powder, and sauté for one more minute. Stir in cooked lentils and rice, 1/2 of the caramelized onions, chopped parsley and cilantro, salt, and black pepper. Sauté in the pan for a few minutes until everything is warm and well combined. Taste and adjust for salt. Serve it with lemon wedges next to a bowl of Greek-style yogurt or yogurt tahini sauce. The hot-cold-tangy combination is heavenly. As a side, you can have a refreshing salad like Shirazi salad, fattoush, tahini salad, or cucumber-tomato salad. You can also use long-grain rice, short-grain rice, or jasmine rice.
Lentils
You can use dried brown lentils, green lentils, or black lentils. Here’s everything you need to know about how to cook lentils and how to cook black lentils. You can substitute canned lentils for dried ones. They don’t need to be cooked. Drain and rinse them before adding them to the skillet with the spices. Avoid split red lentils as they won’t keep their shape in mujadara.
Caramelized onions
Substitute store-bought crispy fried onions for caramelized onions.
Scallions
You can substitute onions for spring onions.
Spices
Feel free to add or remove spices based on your preference, and if you have them in your pantry, substitute the Lebanese seven-spice mix (Bahārāt) for our recommended spices. Turmeric is not usually added to mujadara. We like to add a small amount to dye the dish with a gorgeous golden color.
Fresh herbs
Try to use a mix of fresh flat-leaf parsley and fresh coriander or cilantro. You can also add fresh mint. Refrigerator: store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave for 2 minutes or in a pan with a drizzle of olive oil. Freezer: Let the mujaddara cool down completely, transfer it into a freezer-friendly container, and freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw & Reheat: Defrost for several hours in the refrigerator. Warm it in the microwave for a few minutes or on a pan with olive oil.
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