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Lebanese Mujadara with Lentils, Rice, and Caramelized Onions make

mujadara lebanese recipe

Lebanese Mujadara is a comforting, budget-friendly staple of lentils, rice, and deeply caramelized onions seasoned with cumin and olive oil.
It comes together in 4 simple steps: slowly cook sliced onions low and slow until dark golden and crisp, simmer brown or green lentils until just tender, add rice, cumin, salt and pepper to the pot with some of the onion oil and cook until fluffy, then pile the crispy onions on top.
Serve warm topped with parsley and a squeeze of lemon, with yogurt or a cucumber tomato salad on the side. Naturally vegan, high in fiber and plant protein from the lentils, and balanced by the sweetness of the onions.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 4
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Calories: 350
Ingredients Method Video Notes

Ingredients
  

  • Prep: 15 minutes Cook: 50 minutes Rest: 10 minutes Total: about 1 hour 15 minutes Serves: 6
  • Ingredients
  • 250 g brown or green lentils rinsed
  • 200 g 1 cup long-grain rice, rinsed
  • 4 large onions thinly sliced
  • 5 tablespoons olive oil
  • 900 ml vegetable stock or water
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • ½ teaspoon coriander
  • 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • ¼ cup chopped parsley and mint
  • Lemon wedges and yogurt for serving

Method
 

  1. Cook onions in 3 tablespoons oil over medium-low heat for 30–40 minutes until deeply golden.
  2. Meanwhile, simmer lentils in water for 15–20 minutes until partly tender.
  3. Add rice, stock, remaining oil, cumin, coriander, salt, and pepper.
  4. Cover and simmer 18–22 minutes until rice and lentils are tender.
  5. Rest covered 10 minutes, fluff, and top with onions and herbs.
  6. Serve with lemon and yogurt.
  7. Nutrition is an estimate and varies with oil, rice, lentils, yogurt, and serving size. This recipe is for general cooking information, not medical or dietary advice.

Video

Notes

Mujadara gets better as it sits. Make extra onions, they are the star. Use brown or green lentils so they hold shape, and do not skip the olive oil it was cooked in. Keeps 3 days in the fridge, great with yogurt, lemon, and a fresh salad on the side.
Cook the onions first, low and slow, 20 to 25 minutes until deep mahogany, not just golden. Keep the sweet oil left in the pan and cook your lentils and rice in it, that is where all the flavor lives. Add cumin at the end of the onion cook so it blooms without burning, and let the pot rest covered 10 minutes before fluffing.