Mujadara

Name: Mujadara
Total time: 45 min
Yield: Family
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: 1 cup brown or green lentils; 1 cup rice; 3 large onions, thinly sliced; 1.5 tsp cumin; 1/3 cup olive oil; 2 cloves garlic; 4 cups water or broth

Mujadara is a humble, deeply savory Middle Eastern dish of lentils and rice crowned with sweet caramelized onions. Simple and budget-friendly, it is rich, comforting, and naturally vegan. The crispy fried onions on top make it irresistible.

Middle Eastern Vegan Vegetarian Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Stovetop Dinner Budget One-Pot Comfort Food Lentil

⏱ 45 min
📊 easy
🍽 Family

Ingredients

1 cup brown or green lentils
1 cup rice
3 large onions, thinly sliced
1.5 tsp cumin
1/3 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic
4 cups water or broth

Instructions

Fry the sliced onions in olive oil over medium heat until deep golden and crispy, then set some aside for topping.
Add the garlic and cumin to the pot and cook briefly.
Add the lentils and water and simmer for 15 minutes until nearly tender.

Stir in the rice, cover, and cook until the rice is tender and the liquid absorbed.
Rest off the heat for 10 minutes, then fluff.
Top with the reserved crispy onions and serve.

💡 Chef's tip

Cook the lentils until just tender before adding the rice, since they take longer, so both finish together perfectly cooked.

Slowly caramelizing a generous amount of onions until deep brown is the heart of mujadara, providing the sweet, savory flavor and crispy topping that define the dish.