Uploaded March 2023 | Updated September 2026, 2 days ago
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This is a recipe that every home cook should have in their repertoire. It is somewhat time-consuming to properly caramelize the onions, but a batch makes 8-10 meals and stores well in the fridge or freezer. The rice, lentils and onions which make up the bulk of the recipe are generally inexpensive compared to other ingredients a meal might consist of.
It is a good idea to plan to serve mujadara with something crunchy and sour, like a shirazi salad. In a pinch, turnip pickles or even jalapeno-carrot pickles are a good accompaniment. Garnish with chopped parsley or cilantro where possible, and definitely try making your own crispy onions at least once.
When using beluga lentils, I only simmered them 10 minutes, whereas with green/brown lentils which are little larger I simmered them 15 minutes to par-cook them. In any case, the rice will need about 20 minutes to cook fully at the end. Let any leftovers cool completely and then store in sealed containers in the fridge or freezer.
Makes enough for 10 people, roughly 3 litres.
Equipment:
• medium to large dutch oven
• smaller covered pot for par-cooking lentils
• cast-iron skillet or similar for frying crispy onions
Ingredients:
1 cup lentils beluga, green or brown; sorted and rinsed
1 cup medium or long-grain rice rinsed until water is clear
4+1 ea onions 4 (~4 cups) chopped, 1 sliced to rings
4 Tbsp Olive oil divided
1/2 tsp cumin seed
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 pods cardamom pips released, pods discarded
Procedure:
1. Place the dutch oven over a medium-to-low burner to warm while getting onions sliced.
2. Add onions (all but one) chopped or cut to half-circles to the hot dutch oven with a tablespoon or two of olive oil (half the oil).
3. Salt the onions and stir together with the oil, and set the heat at medium-low to let the onions sweat and start to slowly caramelize. It will take 20 or so minutes at a low temperature before the onions start to color, and then they will gain color faster and faster, and require more diligent attention toward the end.
4. While the onions are getting started, sort and rinse the lentils and get them started simmering in 2 cups of water. Simmer belugas for about 10 minutes, or 15 min for larger lentils, just to par-cook them.
5. Keep an eye on the onions, make sure to stir them at least once every 10 min at first, then every 5, then just watch closely as they get to a nice dark brown caramely color.
6. Once the lentils are done, drain them and let them stand covered until they are needed later.
7. Combine the spices (cumin seed, black pepper and cardmom pips) and grind them in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle.
8. Before using it, rinse the rice until no more starch comes off. Drain the rice well after rinsing, to get as much water back out of it as possible.
9. Once the onions have gotten nice and dark, but not burned, add the ground spices, a teaspoon of salt and the rinsed, well-drained rice and allow it to warm up with the onions, stirring them together well.
10. Take the opportunity to loosen up any sticky onion material you can get off the sides of the pan.
11. Spread the rice mixture out in an even layer over the bottom of the pan.
12. Add the lentils on top of the rice, making another even layer.
13. Carefully pour in 2 cups of water.
14. Allow the water to come to a simmer, then reduce the heat and allow to simmer covered for ~20 minutes.
15. Slice the last onion into thin rings.
16. Once the time is up, take the pan off the heat and allow to stand covered another 10 minutes.
17. In a hot cast-iron pan, use 2 Tbsp of olive oil to fry the thin rings of onion until they are brown and crispy. A bit dark is fine, as some bitterness helps to offset the roundness of the mujadara.
18. Use a fork to fluff the mujadara, and perhaps stir in a bit more salt, black pepper, etc, if additional seasoning is needed.
19. Serve the mujadara garnished with parsley and crispy onions, and possibly also turnip “shawarma” pickles, or shirazi salad or similar. Mujadara also makes excellent wraps.
Music: bensound.com/royalty-free-music
Check our our Patreon!
patreon.com/loveyourfood
Need a kitchen thermometer? Check out ChefsTemp! Use code LoveYourFood for 15% off a meat thermometer!
shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=2084649&u=3322095&m=111859&urllink=&afftrack=
This is a recipe that every home cook should have in their repertoire. It is somewhat time-consuming to properly caramelize the onions, but a batch makes 8-10 meals and stores well in the fridge or freezer. The rice, lentils and onions which make up the bulk of the recipe are generally inexpensive compared to other ingredients a meal might consist of.
It is a good idea to plan to serve mujadara with something crunchy and sour, like a shirazi salad. In a pinch, turnip pickles or even jalapeno-carrot pickles are a good accompaniment. Garnish with chopped parsley or cilantro where possible, and definitely try making your own crispy onions at least once.
When using beluga lentils, I only simmered them 10 minutes, whereas with green/brown lentils which are little larger I simmered them 15 minutes to par-cook them. In any case, the rice will need about 20 minutes to cook fully at the end. Let any leftovers cool completely and then store in sealed containers in the fridge or freezer.
Makes enough for 10 people, roughly 3 litres.
Equipment:
• medium to large dutch oven
• smaller covered pot for par-cooking lentils
• cast-iron skillet or similar for frying crispy onions
Ingredients:
1 cup lentils beluga, green or brown; sorted and rinsed
1 cup medium or long-grain rice rinsed until water is clear
4+1 ea onions 4 (~4 cups) chopped, 1 sliced to rings
4 Tbsp Olive oil divided
1/2 tsp cumin seed
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 pods cardamom pips released, pods discarded
Procedure:
1. Place the dutch oven over a medium-to-low burner to warm while getting onions sliced.
2. Add onions (all but one) chopped or cut to half-circles to the hot dutch oven with a tablespoon or two of olive oil (half the oil).
3. Salt the onions and stir together with the oil, and set the heat at medium-low to let the onions sweat and start to slowly caramelize. It will take 20 or so minutes at a low temperature before the onions start to color, and then they will gain color faster and faster, and require more diligent attention toward the end.
4. While the onions are getting started, sort and rinse the lentils and get them started simmering in 2 cups of water. Simmer belugas for about 10 minutes, or 15 min for larger lentils, just to par-cook them.
5. Keep an eye on the onions, make sure to stir them at least once every 10 min at first, then every 5, then just watch closely as they get to a nice dark brown caramely color.
6. Once the lentils are done, drain them and let them stand covered until they are needed later.
7. Combine the spices (cumin seed, black pepper and cardmom pips) and grind them in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle.
8. Before using it, rinse the rice until no more starch comes off. Drain the rice well after rinsing, to get as much water back out of it as possible.
9. Once the onions have gotten nice and dark, but not burned, add the ground spices, a teaspoon of salt and the rinsed, well-drained rice and allow it to warm up with the onions, stirring them together well.
10. Take the opportunity to loosen up any sticky onion material you can get off the sides of the pan.
11. Spread the rice mixture out in an even layer over the bottom of the pan.
12. Add the lentils on top of the rice, making another even layer.
13. Carefully pour in 2 cups of water.
14. Allow the water to come to a simmer, then reduce the heat and allow to simmer covered for ~20 minutes.
15. Slice the last onion into thin rings.
16. Once the time is up, take the pan off the heat and allow to stand covered another 10 minutes.
17. In a hot cast-iron pan, use 2 Tbsp of olive oil to fry the thin rings of onion until they are brown and crispy. A bit dark is fine, as some bitterness helps to offset the roundness of the mujadara.
18. Use a fork to fluff the mujadara, and perhaps stir in a bit more salt, black pepper, etc, if additional seasoning is needed.
19. Serve the mujadara garnished with parsley and crispy onions, and possibly also turnip “shawarma” pickles, or shirazi salad or similar. Mujadara also makes excellent wraps.
Music: bensound.com/royalty-free-music
