Mujadara is a simple dish of lentils, rice, and caramelized onions that’s easy to make and so satisfying!
You know me, I’m a huge lentil fan. Lentils are the best! I love all the varieties…green, black, red, French green…they are all awesome and all have their place in soups, salads, burgers, and curries.
But this simple dish is something that I love, and I somehow haven’t gotten around to posting it yet! It’s an easy Lebanese recipe for lentils and rice: mujadara.
It’s lentils and rice…but it somehow is more special than that. The onions really make this happen – you cook them for a long time until they are browned and some of them are a little crispy. Yes, it does take a while for them to get to that point, so be patient! And don’t turn the heat too high or you will just have burnt onions, and that’s no fun.
When cooking the onions I usually start out with medium high heat and then reduce it to medium after a little while. Stir the onions frequently so they don’t stick to the pan.
You can use any kind of long grain rice to make mujadara – I used long grain white rice this time.
Mujadara (Lentils and Rice).
Ingredients
Instructions
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Cook the rice according to package directions,
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Pick over and rinse the lentils, then place in a pot with 3 cups of vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low and cook until lentils are tender, about 30-35 minutes. Add more broth if the lentils start to dry out.
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While the lentils and the rice are cooking, cook the onions. Place the onions and two tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet and cook over medium high heat. Stir often, and if they start to brown too quickly, reduce heat to medium. Cook until the onions are all browned and some of them are crisp. This could take about 40 minutes.
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Once everything is cooked, add the rice and lentils to the onion skillet. Season with the sea salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Stir well and serve right away.
Lightly adapted from this recipe.
The best part is…this dish is naturally allergy friendly! Gluten free, nut free, vegan…it’s a great meal to serve when you have guests with food allergies. Just be sure to check the label on the vegetable broth. :)
Follow along:
We tried this last week (my onions didn’t get quite as crispy as it looks like some of yours did though!) & my little one (DF, EF, NF, PF) LOVED it! I seriously can’t remember the last time he shoveled the food into his mouth so fast and excitedly! And that was a couple days in a row (leftovers)! Thank you for another awesome recipe that delights my family and is safe for my son!
Yay! That makes me so happy! Thank you for letting me know this was a hit! :)
I made this recipe a couple of weeks ago, as written, with three cups of broth. It was delicious. I was skeptical of the nutmeg, but it added a certain something wonderful.
I’m so glad you liked it! Thanks for letting me know!
This sounds like the perfect dish for a fall day! I love the lentils and rice combo!
Thanks, Gayle!
This looks like such comfort food and I can’t get over how simple the preparation is! Delicious :)
Thanks, Medha!
I’m a huge lentil fan too. The flavors of this sound amazing!
Love how easy this is! And lentils are the best!
I LOVE Lebanese food and can’t believe I’ve never tried Mujadara! This looks like an epic staple to make any night of the week – Must make it soon!