Mujadara: Lentils and Rice with Crispy Onions
Mujadara (mujaddara) is a traditional Middle Eastern recipe made from lentils and rice. It's topped with crispy onions. This comforting vegan and gluten-free recipe goes great with a fattoush salad or shirazi salad and plain yogurt.
Servings: 6 (up to)
Ingredients
- 1 cup black lentils, sorted and rinsed
- 1/4 cup Extra virgin olive oil, more for later
- 2 large yellow onions, diced (4 cups)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt more to taste
- 1 cup long-grain white rice, soaked in water for 10-15 minutes and then drained
- black pepper
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon cumin
- Parsley, for garnish
For the fried crispy onion garnish (optional)
- extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion cut in very thin rings
Instructions
- Cook the lentils. Set a small saucepan over high heat, and add the lentils and 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the lentils are par-boiled, about 10-12 minutes. Remove from the heat, drain the lentils, and set aside.
- Cook the onions. In a large sauté pan with a lid, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the diced onions and cook until they are dark golden brown, darker than typical caramelized onions, about 40 minutes. Sprinkle the onions with a teaspoon of salt as they cook.
- Combine. Carefully add 2 cups of water to the pan with the onions, bring the water to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 2 minutes. Stir the rice and par-cooked lentils into the onion mixture. Add a good dash of kosher salt, black pepper, and the cumin.
- Reduce heat and finish cooking. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the liquid has been absorbed and the rice and lentils are both cooked through, about 15 to 20 minutes.
- Make the fried onions. While the rice and lentils cook, make the fried onions. In a large skillet set over medium-high heat, add 2 to 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil. Add a small piece of onion to the oil; when it bubbles vigorously, the oil is ready. Fry the onions in batches until they are crispy and deeply golden brown. Transfer the crispy onion rings to a paper towel-lined plate to remove excess oil.
- Rest and serve. Let the rice and lentils rest covered for about 10 minutes undisturbed, then transfer to serving bowls. Top each bowl with the crispy onion rings, and garnish with parsley.
Video
Notes
- Black lentils are the best option for mujadara, but brown lentils will work as well
- Rinse the rice well and soak it in water for 15 minutes or until you are able to break a rice grain easily. This will help it cook quickly and evenly
- If you choose to add the crispy onion garnish (highly recommended), to save time, you can start this while the rice and lentils cook (as I do in the video).
- Visit our Shop to browse our lentils, olive oil, spices and more!
Nutrition
Calories: 377.9kcal | Carbohydrates: 46.5g | Protein: 10.8g | Fat: 16.6g | Saturated Fat: 2.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11.8g | Sodium: 401.8mg | Potassium: 119mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 2.4g | Vitamin A: 4.9IU | Vitamin C: 5.5mg | Calcium: 48mg | Iron: 3.1mg
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