Mujadara
Lentils and rice, deeply caramelized onion and cumin warmth.
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Three big onions feels like a lot. It is. Mujadara without enough deeply caramelized onion is just lentils and rice - sad. Trust the volume; they shrink to a fraction by the end. The crispy reserved pile on top is non-negotiable.
Ingredients
Everything below makes 4 servings.
- 1 cupbrown lentilsrinsed and picked over
- 1 cuplong-grain rice or basmatirinsed
- 3 largeyellow onionhalved and thinly sliced (you want a LOT of onion)
- 3garlic clovesminced
- 2 tspground cumin
- 1 tspground coriander
- ½ tspground allspice
- ⅓ cupolive oil
- ½ cupplain whole-milk yogurt (for serving, optional)
- 1lemoncut into wedges
- ¼ cupfresh flat-leaf parsleychopped
- 1½ tspkosher salt
- 4 cupswater
In the app these rescale to however many people you're feeding.
Nutrition
Per serving, as written.
- 590calories
- 17gprotein
- 82gcarbs
- 22gfat
Swaps move these numbers. A different protein or base changes them.
Instructions
Knife work first, then the stove. Nothing below asks you to chop while something burns.
- Rinse lentils, pick out any debris.
- Rinse rice in a sieve until water runs nearly clear.
- Halve and thinly slice 3 large onions - yes, three. Mince 3 garlic cloves. Chop parsley.
Start lentils
Put rinsed lentils in a large pot with water and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook 12-15 min - you want them about 75% done, still with bite. They'll finish cooking with the rice.
15 min · hands offFry the onions (THE step)
While lentils cook: heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium. Add sliced onions and a pinch of salt. Cook 20-25 min, stirring every few minutes, until they go from translucent to golden to deep mahogany brown. Watch the last 5 min closely. When deeply caramelized, scoop out about HALF with a slotted spoon onto a paper-towel-lined plate (this batch stays crispy for topping). Leave the rest in the skillet with the oil.
25 min · hands onBloom spices
Add garlic, cumin, coriander, and allspice to the skillet with the remaining onions and oil. Cook 30 sec to bloom. Scrape everything into the pot with the par-cooked lentils.
2 min · hands onCook with rice
Add the rinsed rice and salt to the pot. If the lentils are looking dry, add 1/2 cup more water - you want the level just to cover the grains by about 1/2 inch. Bring to a boil, then reduce to lowest heat, cover tightly, and cook 18 min undisturbed.
18 min · hands offRest and fluff
Off heat, leave covered 10 min to steam. Then fluff gently with a fork. Taste - adjust salt.
10 min · hands offPlate
Mound mujadara on a platter or in bowls. Pile the reserved crispy onions on top. Scatter parsley. Serve with a wedge of lemon and a dollop of yogurt on the side.
3 min · hands onMake it yours
Every swap here is one Maui already knows how to make, including what it does to the timing.
Green lentils hold shape better; cook 25 min instead of 20. Adds about 5 minutes.
Dice cucumber and tomato, toss with lemon juice and olive oil and chopped parsley. Adds about 5 minutes.
Just lemon to brighten - no yogurt or salad.
Serve with extra lemon and olive oil instead.
What keeps
Mujadara keeps 5 days and tastes better day 2. Store crispy onions separately in a jar at room temp (stays crisp 3 days).
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