Mujadara: Lentils And Rice With Crispy Onions Recipe : A typical Middle Eastern meal consisting of rice, lentils, and thoroughly caramelized onions is called mujaddara. a hearty and filling dish that’s usually served with a side of plain yogurt, a topping of crispy onion rings, and a fresh Mediterranean salad like shirazi, fattoush, or cucumber and tomato salad.
Mujadara: Lentils And Rice With Crispy Onions Recipe
Mujadara, which translates to “pockmarked” in Arabic, is a staple Middle Eastern dish comprised of three main ingredients: rice, lentils, and an abundance of onions! Usually, just a small amount of kosher salt, pepper, and cumin is used as seasoning. An equally wonderful alternative to white rice is occasionally coarse bulgur wheat.
Ingredients
- 1 cup black lentils, sorted and rinsed
- 4 cups water, divided
- ¼ cup Extra virgin olive oil, more for later
- 2 large yellow onions, diced (4 cups)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt more to taste
- 1 cup long-grain white rice, soaked in water for 10-15 minutes and then drained
- black pepper
- ½ to 1 teaspoon cumin
- Parsley, for garnish
For The Fried Crispy Onion Garnish (Optional)
- extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion cut in very thin rings
Instructions
Put the lentils and two cups of water into a small pot. After heating the water to a boil on high, lower the heat, cover, and simmer the lentils for 10 to 12 minutes, or until they are par-boiled. After taking the lentils off the stove, drain them, and set them aside.
Heat the oil in a large, lidded sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onions and cook for about 40 minutes, or until they are a deep golden brown color, darker than conventional caramelized onions. During this time, sprinkle the onions with a teaspoon of salt.
After adding the final two cups of water with caution, raise the heat to a boil over high, lower the heat, and simmer for two minutes. Add the par-cooked lentils and rice to the onion mixture and stir. Add a generous pinch of black pepper, cumin, and kosher salt.
Turn down the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the rice and lentils are thoroughly cooked and the liquid has been absorbed.
While the rice and lentils are cooking, work on the fried onions if you plan to add them. About 2 to 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil should be heated over medium-high heat in a large skillet. The oil is ready when a tiny slice of onion begins to bubble aggressively. Add the onions and fry in batches until golden brown and crispy. To remove extra oil, move the crispy onion rings to a dish covered with paper towels.
After letting the rice and lentils sit covered and undisturbed for approximately ten minutes, sprinkle with the parsley and transfer to serving bowls. Arrange the crispy onion rings on top of each bowl.
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Notes
Brown lentils can also be used for mujadara, but black lentils are the ideal choice.
After giving the rice a thorough rinse, let it soak in water for fifteen minutes, or until a rice grain breaks readily. This will facilitate rapid and even cooking.
To save time, you can begin preparing the crispy onion garnish (which is highly recommended) while the rice and lentils are cooking,
Nutrition
- Calories: 377.9kcal
- Carbohydrates: 46.5g
- Protein: 10.8g
- Fat: 16.6g
- Saturated Fat: 2.3g
- Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.8g
- Monounsaturated Fat: 11.8g
- Sodium: 401.8mg
- Potassium: 119mg
- Fiber: 8g
- Sugar: 2.4g
- Vitamin A: 4.9IU
- Vitamin C: 5.5mg
- Calcium: 48mg
- Iron: 3.1mg
