Mujadara (Lentils and Rice with Caramelized Onions)
Mujadara is a comforting and flavorful Middle Eastern dish made from lentils, rice, and deeply caramelized onions. It's a naturally vegan and gluten-free meal that's both hearty and satisfying.
An original recipe by Forkin
- Total time
- 1 hr 15 min
- Serves
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Per serving
- 841 kcal
Mise en place
Ingredients
Converted for display; the recipe amounts stay equivalent.
Ingredients
- 1.5 cupbrown lentil, rinsed
- 1 cuplong-grain rice, rinsed
- 3 pcsyellow onion, thinly sliced
- 0.5 cupolive oil
- 3 cupvegetable broth
- 1 tspcumin, ground
- 0.5 tspcoriander, ground
- 1 tspsalt
- 0.5 tspblack pepper, freshly ground
garnish
- 2 tbspfresh parsley, chopped(optional)
Equipment
fork · spoon · large pot · dutch oven
The method
Step by step
- 1
Rinse the lentils thoroughly under cold running water until the water runs clear, then set aside.
About 2 min
- 2
Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
About 1 min
- 3
Add the sliced yellow onion to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20-30 minutes until deeply caramelized and dark brown. This is crucial for flavor.
About 25 min
Cook’s note: Don't rush this step; the deeply browned onions add immense flavor to the dish.
- 4
Remove about half of the caramelized onions from the pot and set them aside for garnish.
About 1 min
- 5
Add the rinsed lentils, vegetable broth, cumin, coriander, salt, and black pepper to the pot with the remaining onions.
About 1 min
- 6
Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.
About 15 min
- 7
Stir in the rinsed long-grain rice, cover again, and continue to simmer for another 15-20 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed and the rice and lentils are tender.
About 18 min
Cook’s note: Avoid lifting the lid too often to allow the rice to steam properly.
- 8
Remove the pot from the heat and let it rest, covered, for 10 minutes.
About 10 min
Cook’s note: Resting allows the rice to finish cooking and become fluffy.
- 9
Fluff the mujadara gently with a fork.
About 1 min
- 10
Serve warm, topped with the reserved caramelized onions and a sprinkle of fresh parsley, if using.
Per serving
Nutrition
- Calories
- 840.9kcal
- Protein
- 28.5g
- Carbs
- 119.8g
- Fat
- 29g
- Fibre
- 12.4g
- Sugar
- 8.7g
Estimated from the recipe’s ingredient quantities. Values can vary with brands and substitutions.
Keep it good
Store leftover mujadara in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Reheat gently in a microwave or on the stovetop with a splash of water or broth to prevent drying.
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