Table of Contents
Mujadara (mujaddara) is a signature Middle Eastern dish of lentils, rice, and deeply caramelized onions. A bold and comforting dish that’s typically served with a topping of crispy onion rings and a side of plain yogurt with a fresh Mediterranean salad.
What is Mujaddara?
In Arabic, mujaddara means “riddled with small holes”, or “pockmarked”. It is certainly not very appealing but it is a reference to the lentils among the rice that look like little pimples. This dish is nonetheless delicious.
Mujaddara consists of cooked brown or green lentils, usually combined with rice but sometimes bulgur or groats, with a good amount of caramelized onions, fried in olive oil.
Everywhere, it is nicknamed “the dish of the poor” as it doesn’t include any meat or expensive ingredients. It is to the Middle East what couscous is in the Maghreb countries.
Origin Of Mujaddara
When a dish is so old and so popular as the mujaddara, it is not possible to definitively attribute it to a particular territory or culture and, as is often the case, the more ancient and simple a dish is, the more a culture or country attributes tries to claim its paternity.
The first recorded recipe for the mujaddara appears in Kitab al-Tabikh, which simply means “cookbook”. It was written in 1226 by Mohammed bin Hassan al-Baghdadi in Iraq.
The original recipe, which included rice, lentils, and meat, was served this way during celebrations. Without meat, it was an Arab dish of the Middle Ages commonly prepared by the poor, a version that has become, over time, the most traditional.
Besides being known as the “dish of the poor”, mujaddara is also called “Esau’s favorite”. This dish would indeed have biblical origins.
Mujadara Recipe
The secret to an authentic mujadara recipe is in the onions! This dish starts and ends with onions.
First, deeply caramelized chopped onions are cooked with rice and lentils, imparting flavor and the deep, golden hue this dish is known for.
And to finish your mujadara, you’ll top the cooked rice and lentils with a thinly sliced, crispy onion ring! Comforting and bold in the best way.
You can use long grain or short-grain white rice to make mujadara. It’s important to rinse the rice well until the water runs clear, then soak it for about 20 minutes or so in cold water until you can easily break one grain of rice.
This will ensure that the rice cooks quickly and evenly, and it will help avoid mushy rice. If you want to use brown rice instead, you’ll extend the cooking time a bit.
What To Serve With Mujadara
To serve mujadara lentils and rice the traditional way, you’ll dish it in bowls and add the crispy onion on top. For sides, we typically add some plain yogurt and a big fresh Mediterranean salad such as cucumber and tomato salad, or Shirazi salad.
Be sure to recreate this incredible Mujadara recipe. Bon appétit!
Mujaddara
Ingredients
- ¾ cup brown lentils , well rinsed with cold water
- ⅔ cup fragrant rice
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 4 large onions , sliced
- ¾ cup boiling water
- Salt
- Pepper
Instructions
- Add the drained lentils in a large Dutch oven and cover with 4 times their volume of cold water.
- Cover for 20 minutes after reaching boiling point: first 10 minutes on high heat and then, 10 on medium to high heat.
- Add the rice and ¾ cup (200 ml) of boiling water. Mix well and cook uncovered for 15 minutes over medium heat, stirring regularly.
- If necessary, add a little boiling water if the rice absorbs the water quickly.
- A few minutes before the end of cooking, season with salt and pepper and mix well.
- While cooking the lentils and rice, heat olive oil in a large skillet and fry the sliced onions until the edges curl and turn golden brown.
- When the 2 preparations are ready, pour the hot oil (without the onion) into the mujaddara pot, and mix well.
- Arrange on a plate.Top with the fried onions.
