Lebanese Mujadara Recipe
Lebanese Mujadara is a flavorful and comforting dish combining tender lentils and fluffy rice, topped with crispy caramelized onions and aromatic cumin. This traditional Middle Eastern recipe is simple to prepare and uses pantry staples to create a hearty vegetarian meal, perfect for any occasion.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4 to 6 servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1 cup long grain or basmati white rice, rinsed
- 4 ½ cups water, plus more for soaking the rice
- ½ cup olive oil
- 2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
- 2 cups brown lentils, rinsed and drained
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons cumin
Instructions
- Soak the Rice: In a medium bowl, cover the rice with cold water and let it soak while you prepare the other ingredients. This soaking helps the rice cook evenly.
- Caramelize the Onions: Line a plate with two paper towels. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over high heat. Add the thinly sliced onions and cook, stirring constantly, until they become deeply browned and start to crisp around the edges, about 20 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the crispy onions to the lined plate, allowing them to drain and continue crisping as they cool. Reserve the onion oil in the pot.
- Cook the Lentils: Add the rinsed lentils to another pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium-low. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Add Rice to Lentils: Drain the soaked rice and rinse it briefly. Transfer the rice to the pot with the partially cooked lentils. Add salt and stir once to combine. Cover again with a tight-fitting lid and cook undisturbed for an additional 15 minutes over medium-low heat.
- Rest and Fluff: Remove the pot from heat and let the mujadara rest, covered, for 5 minutes. Stir in the cumin and fluff the rice and lentils gently with a fork to mix the flavors and separate the grains.
- Finish with Onion Oil and Toppings: Pour the reserved onion oil over the mujadara, then spoon the crispy caramelized onions on top. Serve warm. Optionally, accompany the dish with cucumber yogurt sauce for added freshness.
Notes
- Soaking the rice before cooking improves texture and helps it cook evenly with the lentils.
- Be patient when caramelizing onions; slow cooking brings out their natural sweetness and adds depth of flavor.
- Use a tight-fitting lid to ensure even cooking and to allow the rice and lentils to steam properly.
- This dish is naturally vegetarian and can be served as a main or side dish.
- You can substitute brown lentils with green lentils if preferred, but cooking times may vary.
Keywords: Mujadara, Lebanese lentils and rice, caramelized onions, vegetarian Middle Eastern dish, cumin rice and lentils
Find it online: https://dylangranv.com/lebanese-mujadara-recipe/
