Mujadarra
Mujadarra is a famous middle eastern dish of lentils and rice with caramelized onions, and I loved this from the very first time I tasted it!
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Mujadarra (pronounced moo-jha-druh and also spelled Mujadara, Mujaddara, Mujadarah, and Mujadarrah) is a humble middle eastern dish of lentils, rice, and caramelized onions. This is a recipe where the flavor becomes much more than you’d expect from the simple ingredients used.
Years ago I started ordering Mujadarra at a now-closed Salt Lake restaurant which served it with Middle Eastern Tomato Salad around the the plate, the perfect way to eat it if you have tomatoes and fresh herbs on hand. Then that restaurant closed, and I never found another place in Utah where I liked it as much. So recently I decided to get serious about making Mujadarra myself, starting with a recipe from Paula Wolfert’s The Cooking of the Eastern Mediterranean (affiliate link).
But after a few tries, I couldn’t manage to cook the lentils and rice together without one or the other getting overcooked. What worked for me was to cook the rice separately and mix it into the cooked lentils and caramelized onions. After waiting years to re-create a version of this dish I was happy with, I loved how this turned out, and I’m sure it’s something I’m going to be making over and over again.
How to Make Mujadarra:
(Scroll down for complete recipe with nutritional information.
- Rinse lentils, then add water and cook at a low simmer 20-30 minutes, until lentils are soft. Cover the cooked lentils and let sit so they absorb most of the water.
- Cook 3/4 cup long grain rice, either following the directions on the package or using a rice cooker like I did. I used Uncle Ben’s Converted Rice, which is a low-glycemic type of white rice, but Basmati rice would also be good. (Keep the rice warm until you need it.)
- Peel onions, then cut into quarter-slices to make 3 cups sliced onions. (I increased the amount of onion; next time I might increase the onion even more.)
- Heat olive oil in large heavy pan, then add onions and start to brown the onions over medium-low heat, stirring every few minutes. I cooked the onions for a total of 25 minutes browning time. (Don’t rush the browning step; you want the onions to slowly get golden brown.)
- Remove about half the onions to a paper towel, and let them drain and crisp while you finish the dish. These crispy onions bits are served on top of the cooked lentils and rice.
- Add cumin to the rest of the cooked onions and saute 1-2 minutes.
- Transfer the cooked lentils to the pan with the onions, leaving behind any liquid that hasn’t been absorbed. Season lentils with salt and freshly ground black pepper and cook 2-3 minutes.
- Then gently mix the cooked rice into the lentils and onions, heating for a minute or two if needed.
- Serve hot or warm, with some of the crisp onions topping each serving.
Make it a Meal:
Mujadarra is great served with Middle Eastern Tomato Salad on the side, which is the way I always order it in a restaurant. It would make a great side dish with Baked Falafel Patties with Yogurt-Tahini Sauce, or you could also serve the sauce with the Mujadarra.
Other Food Bloggers Make Mujadarra:
Mujadara from Desert Candy
Mujaddara from Habeus Brulee
Mujadara from Orangette
Mujadarra
Mujadarra is a famous middle eastern dish of lentils and rice with caramelized onions, and I love this served with Middle Eastern Tomato Salad!
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup long-grain white rice (see notes)
- 1 cup brown lentils, rinsed
- 3 cups yellow onions, cut into quarter slices (or more)
- 1/3 cup olive oil (use high-quality olive oil with good flavor for this dish)
- 1/4 tsp. ground cumin
- salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook rice in water following package directions, or cook in a rice cooker.
- When rice is done, cover and keep warm until you add it to the lentils.
- Rinse lentils, then place in heavy pot with a tight fitting lid, add 1 quart water, and let lentils simmer over very low heat uncovered until they are soft (about 20-30 minutes, but cooking time will depend on how fresh the lentils are so keep checking until they are soft but still have a slight bite to them.)
- When lentils are cooked, cover and let water them absorb any leftover water.
- While lentils cook, cut onions into short slices.
- Heat olive oil in heavy frying pan, then add onions, reduce heat to medium-low and start to brown onions, stirring every few minutes.
- Continue to cook onions, stirring often, until they are deeply browned and caramelized, about 20-25 minutes. Don't rush this step; the onions can be bitter if they're cooked at too high of heat.
- When onions are browned, remove half the onions to drain on a paper towel to crisp.
- Sprinkle 1/4 tsp cumin into the rest of the onions in the pan and saute 1-2 minutes.
- Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked lentils to the pan with the onions, leaving behind any water that's not absorbed.
- Season the cooked lentils and onions with salt and freshly ground black pepper and cook 1-2 minutes to blend flavors.
- Gently mix cooked rice into the lentils and caramelized onions, heating for a minute or two if the rice is not hot.
- Put Mujadarra on a serving dish, top with crispy caramelized onions, and serve hot or warm.
Notes
I used Uncle Ben's Converted Rice (affiliate link) which is a low-glycemic type of white rice.
Recipe adapted from Paula Wolfert's The Cooking of the Eastern Mediterranean (affiliate link).
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 330Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 152mgCarbohydrates: 36gFiber: 7gSugar: 9gProtein: 8g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.
Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
If it’s made with a low-glycemic type of white rice such as Uncle Ben’s Converted Rice, this dish would be approved for phase 2 or 3 of the original South Beach Diet. It’s too high in carbs for a low-carb diet.
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59 Comments on “Mujadarra”
Hi Kalyn — I need some clarification. In step 6, it says reduce heat to med-low to cook the onions, but in step 7 it says onions are better when cooked at high heat. Help?
I thought at first it was a typo, but now I see it says onions will be BITTER if they’re cooked at low heat (not better.) Sorry for the confusion.
Kalyn, how interesting – I've got a very similar recipe on my blog, yet entirely different (mine's a soup): http://nami-nami.blogspot.com/2012/10/makhlouta-comforting-rice-and-lentil.html
Thanks for your quick reply to my question about freezing this dish — I didn't get a chance to try because my family devoured it! So delicious! I caramelized the onions in a dutch oven in the oven for hours (a Cooks Illustrated method). It took longer but it was hands off, which is what I needed with two little ones in the house. In any case — thanks for the recipe — a keeper for sure.
So glad you liked it. This has been one of my favorite dishes for a long time.
Just made this for the first time. I originally found you via Pinterest.
It's SO easy to make and SO yummy!
I haven't tried freezing this, but I am quite sure it would freeze okay. I have kept it in the fridge a few days and then reheated, and that works well too. I prefer it reheated in a frying pan (like fried rice) rather than using the microwave.
Do you think this dish would freeze well? Or else could I make it ahead and reheat? Thanks so much.
Danny I like the rice cooker for perfect white or brown rice, but feel free to do it any way you prefer!
Brown rice and (dry) lentils cook the same time; you can easily cook them together in a single pot.
If you wanted to cook using lentils and white rice in a single pot, you need to start the lentils off and add rice somewhere in the 10-30 minute mark — which is a huge range, and no, it isn't easy to get right, unless you have a lot of experience with it.
Much easier to just use brown rice. And better for you, too. My vote is for eating it with parsley – yum.
Jessica, thanks for sharing that. Lucky you to have a mom who makes good stuff like this for you! I do remember that the restaurant where I learned to love this served it with a ring of chopped cucumber-tomato salad around the plate, but I hadn't heard about serving that on top or with the yogurt sauce either. Both of those sound really good to me!
Hi Kalyn! I love your blog 🙂
Just wanted to let you know that middle eastern rice and lentils are often eaten with a tomato-cucumber salad on top as well as a yogurt sauce (with cucumbers in it and maybe some garlic – kind of like a tzatziki) It acts as a kind of dressing and is just great with the rice and tomato salad. I thought it might be something you like since I see yogurt on this blog often, so I wanted to share! My mom is middle eastern and makes it this way.
Thanks for all of your wonderful recipes! I make your roasted lemon cabbage wedges all the time – they're divine.
Jessica
Glad you liked this; I would hate to think of someone giving up on lentils.
Thank you so much for posting this recipe it is absolutely delicious!
I have tried lentils a couple times and dislike the taste, this was my third and last try before giving up on lentils.
I did tweak it a bit though, I prepared the onions first, then sauteed the brown rice with the carmelized onions to toast it a little, then I sauteed the cooked lentils with some garlic, mixed everything together, seasoned with cumin and cinnamon, tasted it, then threw in a handful of raisens.
Next time I will try adding cardamon as suggested in another comment.
Emily I love hearing your authentic touches; thanks for sharing. Especially like the idea of adding more seasonings to the rice and brown rice would probably be my favorite too.
I love mjadara! It's my go-to dish when I've got nothing else in the house. And then I remember how yummy it is and eat it for days.
Other tips for making it even more Middle Eastern:
Add 3-4 cardamom pods (or 1 Tbsp. ground cardamom); 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon; up to 3 tsp ground cumin to the rice when cooking. DELICIOUS.
Definitely need plain thick yogurt for serving. That yogurt makes the spices really pop in your mouth. When I was visiting my parents in the States, I made them this dish, and they were completely skeptical of the yogurt, but ended up loving it.
I've also used brown rice for this dish, and it works great. My Arab husband liked the brown rice even better.
Danny, thanks for those tips. I love hearing how different families prepare this traditional dish!
Nice blog and good recipe! Though I have to agree with cf, the Lebanese version I was taught by my mom never browned the onions, they are cooked long and slow (up to an hour or so) till translucent, with only a hint of color. It's all good though! The trick is getting the rice and lentils cooked together so they are just done. My way is: get the onions going; start cooking the lentils; when 2/3 done, add half the onions, uncooked basmati, extra water to suit, salt and pepper; cook till done, and then add the other half of the onions which have had a little longer in the pan. Lots of olive oil! Brown basmati also works really well, and cooks at the same rate as the lentils, so is a simple cooking operation.
Glad you liked it. I have loved this dish for years and years!