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This filling bowl of Mujadara is a top pick on busy nights. It's a Middle Eastern favorite that's super tasty, satisfying, and kind to your wallet. Lentils and rice come together under a heap of caramelized onions for the coziest comfort food, all using everyday staples from your pantry. Make it the star of dinner or slide it on as a tasty side. This one is always vegan, gluten-free, and people can't get enough.
Can't forget my first time making this—those onions sizzling away and lentils bubbling in the pot. My crew asks for it anytime there’s a pile of onions around.
Irresistible Ingredients
- Olive oil: Sizzle those onions in it and you'll get a rich finish. Go extra-virgin if you can.
- Black pepper: Brings a bit of a kick—fresh cracked is best.
- Bay leaves: Toss ‘em in for gentle herby flavor—the brighter, the better.
- Ground cumin: Gives warmth and earthiness. Freshly ground brings the most wow.
- Salt: It lights up all the other flavors. I like kosher or sea salt for good coverage.
- Veggie bouillon powder: Adds a lot of depth if you use a high quality one.
- Water: Go for filtered and fresh for clean flavor.
- Brown rice or white rice: Brown is chewy and nutty, white comes out fluffy—grab what you have on hand.
- Green or brown lentils: They stay nice and firm. Red and yellow types get too mushy here.
- Onions: I like a mix of red and yellow for color and sweetness. Pick firm heavy ones for best results.
Easy-To-Follow Steps
- Get it Served:
- Spoon the mujadara into individual bowls. Top off with a hearty scoop of those last crispy onions leftover. I like to finish with a dollop of plant-based yogurt and lots of herbs—cilantro or parsley are perfect.
- Bring it Together:
- After rice and lentils are nice and soft, check if they're all the way cooked. Turn off the heat, let the pot sit covered for a few minutes. Toss out the bay leaves. Stir in most of the caramelized onions so everything soaks up that golden flavor. Hold a bit back for topping.
- Caramelize the Onions:
- In a big skillet, pour in the olive oil and get it hot. Tip in your onion slices, stir, and drop the heat to medium. Pop a lid on and let it go about ten minutes. Take off the lid, stir, dump in cumin with the last bit of salt. Keep it uncovered, let it cook five to ten minutes more. Stir every so often. Let them get dark and crispy if you want extra crunch.
- Mix in Lentils and Finish Cooking:
- Once rice simmers for 20 minutes, stir in the soaked, drained lentils plus three more cups water. Mix it all up, cover, and when it starts bubbling, drop the heat again. Let it go another 25 minutes or so until it all turns tender.
- Soak Lentils and Slice Onions:
- While rice is bubbling, dunk lentils in cool water. Drain well. Grab all the onions and slice them thin—use a sharp knife or mandoline. I like going for two yellow and three red for variety.
- Cook the Brown Rice:
- Put your soaked brown rice into a large pot, pour in two and a half cups water, veggie bouillon powder, a teaspoon salt, bay leaves, and black pepper. Crank up the heat to boil, then lower, cover, and let it cook for twenty minutes.
- Soak the Rice and Lentils:
- If brown rice is on deck, soak for twenty minutes first then drain so it cooks better and faster. For white rice, and those lentils, soak in separate bowls for twenty minutes too, then drain each.
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Seriously, onions steal the show here. Slow-cooked them for a good forty minutes once, and it changed the game. Their sweet jamminess totally stands out—my kids wouldn’t stop fighting over the last crispy bits!
Smart Storage Hacks
Stash leftovers in a tightly closed box in the fridge—they’ll be good for four days. Mujadara flavors get even better after a night together. Gently warm it up on the stove or pop it in the microwave—it helps to splash in a little water so it doesn’t dry out. Freezes like a charm too; just put cooled portions in freezer bags and flatten so they thaw fast later. They’ll last about three months in there.
Swap Options
No brown rice? No sweat—just use white, but watch the soaking and cooking time. Out of red onions? Use all yellow, or flip it. Want a fun twist? Sprinkle in some cinnamon or squeeze in lemon for zing. If you’re short on veggie bouillon, just add more salt and a bit more cumin for a flavor boost.
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Serving Ideas
Mujadara is great hot for dinner alongside a crisp cucumber-tomato salad. Goes awesome with oven-roasted veggies or warm pita straight from the grill. Try topping it with a spoonful of dairy-free yogurt and a handful of parsley. Leftovers are awesome packed into pita wraps with salad greens. Makes lunch way more exciting!
Backstory
This dish has been a comfort go-to for generations from Lebanon to Syria and beyond. It’s famous for stretching simple ingredients to feed a crowd and started as far back as medieval times. Lentils with grains came to mean togetherness and sharing in the Middle East’s food traditions.
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Recipe FAQs
- → What's the best kind of lentils to grab for Mujadara?
Go with green or brown if you want them to keep their shape. Red and yellow break down too much and won’t give you that hearty feel.
- → Can I use white rice if I'm out of brown?
Sure thing. White rice cooks up faster, and gets softer, so just check the water and shave a few minutes off to avoid mushiness.
- → Why bother cooking the onions two ways?
Letting onions sweat under a lid first gets them soft. Then, with the lid off, you get those crispy golden edges—super sweet and tasty bits, trust me.
- → Any tips on serving this dish?
People usually pile Mujadara into bowls, scatter extra caramelized onions on top, and toss on a handful of chopped parsley or herbs. Feeling fancy? Spoon over some cool vegan yogurt.
- → Is this dish cool for vegan and gluten-free eaters?
Absolutely—no dairy or gluten sneaks in. It’s all plant stuff: lentils, rice, onions, and spices.
- → Can I throw it together ahead of time?
For sure. Mujadara chills in the fridge and warms up like a champ. If you make it early, the flavors might even hang together better the next day.