How to Make Mujadara (Lebanese Lentils and Rice with Onions)

Mujadara (mjaddara in Lebanese dialect) is lentils and rice cooked together with olive oil, cumin and a lot of onions. It is one of the oldest and most common dishes in Lebanon, cheap enough to be called poor man’s food and loved enough to show up at every table. Christian families make it often during Lent, and it is a standard Friday or weekday lunch in homes across the country.

There are two styles. In the classic mjaddara, the lentils are cooked very soft so the dish is almost creamy. In mudardara, the lentils hold their shape and the rice stays in separate grains. This recipe sits between the two, with whole lentils, tender rice and two layers of onion: some cooked deep brown into the pot for flavor, the rest fried crisp for the top.

Ingredients

• 200 g (1 cup) brown or green lentils, picked over and rinsed
• 1 liter (4¼ cups) water for the lentils, plus more as needed
• 100 g (½ cup) basmati or medium-grain rice, rinsed
• 4 large yellow onions (about 800 g / 1¾ lb), halved and thinly sliced
• 120 ml (½ cup) extra virgin olive oil
• 1½ tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp salt, or to taste
• ½ tsp ground black pepper

To serve

• Plain yogurt (or a vegan alternative), a cabbage or tomato salad, lemon wedges

Instructions

1. Put the lentils and 1 liter of water in a large pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 15 to 18 minutes, until the lentils are about half tender (they should still have a firm center). Do not drain.
2. While the lentils cook, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring every minute or so, for about 10 minutes until soft and golden.
3. Keep going over medium heat for another 10 to 15 minutes, stirring more often, until the onions are a deep reddish brown and starting to crisp at the edges. Do not let them turn black or the dish will taste bitter.
4. Lift out about one third of the darkest, crispiest onions with a slotted spoon and spread them on paper towel. These are for the top.
5. Tip the remaining onions and all their oil into the lentil pot. Add the rice, cumin, salt and pepper and stir.
6. Check the liquid: it should sit about 2 cm (¾ inch) above the lentils and rice. Add hot water if needed. Bring back to a boil.
7. Cover, reduce the heat to low and cook for 18 to 20 minutes, until the rice is tender and the water is absorbed.
8. Turn off the heat and leave it covered for 10 minutes. Taste for salt.
9. Spoon the mujadara onto a platter and pile the crispy onions on top.

Tips for the best mujadara

• The onions are the dish. Give them the full 20 to 25 minutes and they will reward you.
• Use brown or green lentils, not red, which turn to mush.
• Be generous with the olive oil. It carries the flavor of the onions through the whole pot.
• If you like it creamier, mash some of the lentils against the side of the pot before adding the rice.

Variations

• Mjaddara bi burghul: replace the rice with the same amount of coarse bulgur, popular in the mountains and the south. Cook covered for 15 minutes.
• Mudardara: cook the lentils for only 10 minutes before adding the rice, and use slightly less water so every grain stays separate.

How to serve and store

Serve warm or at room temperature with yogurt, a crunchy cabbage salad or fattoush, and radishes or pickled turnips on the side. It keeps 4 days in the fridge. Store the crispy onions separately in a jar so they stay crunchy.

For the lentils, Al Baydar in South Lebanon cleans and packs local lentils and bulgur. Use a good Lebanese olive oil such as Zejd from Batroun, since you will taste it.

Frequently Asked Questions