I discovered Mujaddara probably about ten years ago at this little Lebanese lunch spot in Baton Rouge, called Serop’s Express. I didn’t know what the brown mixture was, but I ordered on a whim and I was instantly in love. The soft grain-like mixture was earthy, flavorful, and had an intoxicating blend of seasoning. I immediately googled the recipe, determined to make it myself.
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(I added chopped cilantro for garnish and to add color to the photo. Cilantro is not needed for the recipe.)
What is Mujaddara?
Mujaddara is a simple, filling, and flavorful Arabic dish made with rice, lentils, and caramelized onions. There are many ways to make it, with each region and family having their own spin, but the common thread among them all is rice, lentils, and caramelized onions. However it’s made, though, it’s usually extremely delicious, filling, and very inexpensive. So, in other words, it’s definitely a budget byte!
My Interpretation
Despite trying several times over the past ten years, I’ve never been able to replicate Serop’s magic recipe. I’ve even had friends question members of the restaurant’s family about what’s in the dish, only to get the answer “rice and lentils”. *sigh* I’ve had mujaddara at other Lebanese restaurants, but none of them compare to what Serop’s serves up. I don’t know what kind of magic they put in there, but it’s way more delicious and intoxicating than just rice and lentils.
The version I finally settled on is as close to Serop’s as I can get. It has plenty of caramelized onions to give it a deep, rich flavor, vegetable broth to make the flavor a little more complex, and a healthy dose of aromatic spices to keep things interesting. This recipe makes a big batch of about 6 cups, but this recipe will freeze very well, so any leftovers can be saved for later.
What to Serve with Mujaddara
I’ve been eating mine plain in a bowl, but it goes great with sautéed greens, roasted vegetables, or even topped with a fried egg. It’s kind of one of those all-purpose dishes that can be eaten at almost every meal. No wonder it’s been around so long!
Try the Authentic Version
As you can see, I’ve played around with the basic mujaddara concept quite a bit here, so you may want to try an authentic recipe first. Plus, you’ll probably get to learn a lot about this dish’s rich culture and history while you’re at it. Here are some great authentic mujaddara recipes to try:
- Lebanese Mujadara from Feel Good Foodie
- Mujadara from The Mediterranean Dish
- Mujadara from Cardamom and Tea
Mujaddara
Servings 6 (1 cup each)Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil ($0.32)
- 4 yellow onions ($1.59)
- 1 tsp cumin ($0.10)
- 1 tsp allspice ($0.10)
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves ($0.03)
- 2.5 cups vegetable broth ($0.30)
- 1 cup long grain white rice (or jasmine) ($0.33)
- 1 cup brown lentils ($0.68)
Instructions
- Thinly slice the onions and add them to a large pot with the olive oil. Cook over low heat, stirring frequently for one hour, or until they are deeply golden brown, sticky, and caramelized. Remove half of the onions and set them aside to top the pilaf after cooking
- Add the cumin, allspice, and cloves to the pot with the remaining onions. Sauté for about one minute to lightly toast the spices. Add the vegetable broth and stir the pot well to dissolve any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot.
- Add the rice and lentils to the pot. Cover the pot with a lid and turn the heat up to high. Allow the contents to come up to a boil. As soon as it reaches a full boil, turn the heat down to low and let it simmer for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, turn the heat off and let it rest for 10 minutes without removing the lid. Finally, remove the lid, fluff with a spoon or fork, then top with the reserved caramelized onions. Serve warm.
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Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!How to Make Mujaddara – Step by Step Photos
This recipe starts with caramelized onions, which lend a lot of flavor to the final pilaf. They take a long time to make, but are well worth it. Begin by thinly slicing four yellow onions and adding them to a large pot with 2 Tbsp olive oil. Cook the onions over low heat, stirring frequently for one hour. You can stir less frequently at first, but will need to keep a closer eye towards the end. I did chores around the house during the first part, remembering to walk back into the kitchen every few minutes to stir.
After an hour or so, they should be deep golden brown, sticky, and caramelized. If you don’t like the stringy texture of caramelized onions, you can dice them instead. They will probably cook a little faster when diced and will blend into the pilaf a little better.
Remove half of the onions and set them aside to top the pilaf later. Add 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp allspice, and 1/4 tsp ground cloves to the pot. Sauté the spices with the remaining onions for about a minute. This toasts the spices slightly, which enhances their flavor.
Add 2.5 cups of vegetable broth to the pot and stir to dissolve any browned bits off the bottom. All that browned onion sugar will help give a lot of flavor to the Mujaddara.
Add one cup of long-grain white rice and one cup of brown lentils to the pot. I used jasmine rice because it’s my favorite, but you can use plain white rice if desired. You’ll want to use brown lentils and not French or “green” lentils because those take twice as long to cook as brown lentils. If unsure, check the packaging to see the recommended cooking time. It should be 20-30 minutes.
Add the rice and lentils to the pot, place a lid on top, then turn the heat up to high. Let the pot come to a full boil. Once it reaches a boil, turn it down to low heat and let it simmer for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, turn the heat off and let it rest with the lid in place for 10 more minutes. After the ten-minute rest, you’ll have this (see photo above).
Fluff it up with a spoon or fork (looks more appetizing now, for sure). The rice and lentils should have absorbed all the broth and be soft and tender all the way through.
Top the Mujaddara with the reserved caramelized onions and serve! YUM.
Not a fan of this recipe
I liked your recipe over others I’ve seen because you deglazed the onion pan ensuring all that flavor goes into the dish. Delicious. I used brown rice and had to cook it for 15 min. first before adding the lentils, but it turned out very well. Thanks for posting it. I will make this again for sure!
I am a FAN of this. In case anyone else botched the onions the first time, too, highly recommend using a double eared pot instead of a fry pan. Also, when onions stick a little, deglazing with a splash of balsamic made me feel worldly and wise. (Also deepened color of onions, WHABAM I was suddenly and irrevocably both a magician and a chef). Loved the spices as written. Thank you for adding to my fancy food that is also vegetarian friendly menu.
I tried this recipe today and I ended up with a burnt layer on the bottom of the pan. Any tips to avoid this?
You can try rinsing your rice thoroughly to remove some of starch, making it less likely to stick to the bottom of the pot. Also, make sure that you’re turning the heat down to low once it comes to a boil!
Could you use red lentils for this?
I don’t suggest red lentils for this because they have a different flavor and tend to break down really easily when cooked, so your final texture will be more of a mush.
Loved this recipe but it makes a lot! I wonder if anyone has tried making it with brown rice?
Yes I have made it with brown rice. Still delicious.
I love this recipe, but it needs at least 2 more cups of liquid and salt to taste. I’m also going to caramelize 2 more onions next time just because I love them :)
Very tasty, but I needed to add ~2 cups more water as it cooked (covered). It was just starting to brown and stick to the bottom after 10 min and it was obvious that the rice and lentils needed more liquid.
I remember having this at a restaurant many years ago. It was so delish I was willing to commit to the onions. I followed the recipie except more oil for the onions. I used my Dutch oven and made sure it was just simmering. It came out perfect. Thank you.
That had very little flavor and my family actually thinks it tasted like cardboard. I didn’t measure anything wrong. What could I have done wrong?
It’s possible that your broth had less salt than mine and salt actually helps our tongue to distinguish flavors, so a little bit of salt can go a long way toward making something flavorful (not just salty). Another possibility is that your spices were old? Spices lose potency as they age.
Should you immediately freeze what’s left over after serving (so before it’s naturally cold)? I get a bit paranoid over rice and the easy possibility for it to give you food poisoning you see! Just want to make sure I store my leftovers safely
The best way to keep leftovers of rice dishes safe is to divide it into smaller portions and refrigerate right away. This helps it cool down to below 40F quickly and get out of the temperature “danger zone.” Then transfer it to the freezer once chilled. :)
Yummy! Once more I did not add enough salt… seems like it’s a me problem!!! This was REALLY good with the yogurt marinated chicken and some roasted summer vegetables. Also, I did not choose a wide enough pot for my 4 onions, so caramelizing them took aaaaages. Make sure that all your onions are in a single layer to get them caramelized evenly instead of half sweated and half caramelized like mine.
Mine turned out mushy :( I put the lentils in boiling water, turned it off for 30minutes first. Was I not supposed to do that with the rice?
I did not presoak the lentils when I made this.
So I halved this recipe and also added 3 cloves of garlic when I added in the spices and it came out delicious!! I do agree that the recipe needs more water but I chocked it up to me experimenting with halving it and even so the lentils were only a little under done. I also added chopped Serrano pepper(don’t know if this is traditional but we’re a spice kinda family), green onion, and cilantro as garnish and it was perfect!! Absolutely going to make this a staple in our dinner rotation!
I cooked this recipe exactly as written and it is delicious, my husband just requested a side dish next time of meat✌🤷♀️
I have made this recipe many a time with no problem I plan ahead for lunch I started around 11 AM and it’s usually done by 1:30 at the latest. As we do not eat it too early of a lunch. It is tasty and the house smells amazing. It’s my dish
Hey,this recipe is also called a traditional one , in Romania( hope u heard of it :)))) never mind:), the point is that i donno why all the traditional recipies in my country at base may be really healthy ,but the people in here like to cook everything with lot s of butter and oil and ,Yuuuck :)) even if i live here i just don t like this kind of cooking, buuut thanks to u i can enojy them in a much pleasent way, and cheapter :)) thanks! 🥰
I would love to make this, but the lentils I have are already cooked? Would that be okay, or should I wait until I get more dry?
You can probably just fold them in at the end. Just reduce the broth to 1.5 cups and cook the rice without the lentils. :)
This is NOT an easy dish to make. It requires time and hard work. So, as a Lebanese cook, first, you have to cook the lentils, take them to a boil, turn off the heat ant let them cool in the pan. Later, you will add, altogether, lentils and the liquid, to color the rice. In other pan,add 1/2 pound of sliced onions, vegetable oil and let them fried slowly, till caramelized. How much oil? About 1/2 cup of oil. Make the same with another 1/2 pound of onions in a separate pan and add some butter too. In the first pan, add the rice and the half cooked lentils and Lebanese butter or ghee or butter, as well. About 2 tbsp. Let the rice cook, let it cool down and in the serving plate, add the remaining fried onions. Butter and oil, not olive oil, is the secret of this recipe.
how would I make this in the instant pot? thanks!
I’m sorry, I haven’t tested this one with an Instant Pot.
You can use the saute function to brown the onions in the instapot, following the directions above. When it gets to be time to add the rice/beans, do as stated (minus about 1/2c of broth) and utilize the “manual” setting and set it to pressure cook for 10 minutes.
Thank you for this heads up. It didn’t even occur to me about the water to rice/lentil ratio until I read this and you are 100% correct. I am also writing this as I wait for the lentils to finish cooking because there wasn’t enough liquid in the beginning. Threw in some salt while it finished cooking too since it is on the bland side by the time you add enough water to it.
This recipe needs more broth, the lentils alone take like 3 cups to cook all the way. By the time I finished I had to periodically add more broth through the whole process, and the lentils came out undercooked while the rice was very overcooked. The flavor was also pretty bland, I had to toss in cinnamon and cayenne and a lot of extra salt to make this taste like anything other than… not much.
You have to cook before the lentils. Let them boil and later, lentils and it’s liquid will be added to the rice.
Is there a typo for amount of broth? Like others said I made this as written and there was nowhere near as much broth as needed. Is it supposed to be 5cups?
I agree with Rowan king. This recipe needs more broth. I followed the instructions as written. The rice cooked, but not the lentals.
Why does this recipe only call for 2.5 cups of liquid for 2 cups total rice+lentils? Are the onions supposed to help or am I missing something else? Mine needed more liquid about 10 minutes in.
I agree, 2.5 cups is way not enough liquid, and even when I increased the broth I still had trouble with the lentils not cooking properly because as the rice absorbs the broth it leaves the lentils to sit on top and not be submerged in the liquid anymore. I’d then need to add more liquid and cook longer, making the rice turn to mush.
I’ve had the most success by pre-cooking the lentils for 20 minutes in water and draining them, then put them in with the rice/onions/spices and 2 cups of broth only, and cook 25 minutes. I actually get a good texture on the rice this way, and although the lentils were cooked in plain water, they absorb the rest of the flavor when it simmers all together.
This was amazing! Used a wild rice blend that I soaked for 3 hours & soaked the lentils overnight. Served on a bed of greens lightly tossed with fig balsamic and lemon olive oil. Added some grape tomatoes to the platter as well. Beautiful & tasted even better than it looked. Thank you! Have tried Mujaddara recipes in the past and failed. This was enjoyed greatly by everyone at the table. Thank you!
A Syrian friend taught me to make this, but she did not use cloves. Instead about 6 large cloves of garlic and a lot more olive oil (up to 8tbsp full – might need to increase the oil gradually because as I learnt, if you’re not used to it, it can have an adverse effect on your bowels.
I have never tried this dish before. It sounds intriguing and I have all the ingredients except white rice.
Can I use brown rice? I have brown long grain, short grain and basmati.
In the process of making the Mediterranean lentil salad right now!
The cooking time for brown rice is so much longer than it is for lentils that it probably wouldn’t be a good idea to cook them together, like I did with the white rice.
Whole family loved it. Shared the recipe with several ppl. Simple and delisious.
I always cook it with Basmati rice. But be careful with the quantity of water. It should be less than what is used for Jasmin rice.
This came out really well but I always love mujaddara.
I just wanted to share a more expensive (but still relatively cheap) but quick way to make this. To speed up the onion time, I use more oil and a little higher temperature to cook the onions. I can usually cook them down in about 30 minutes this way. I also use pre-made lentils from Trader Joes and cook the rice while the onions are cooking. After the onions are finished, I drain them and pat them dry. Throw lentils with spices in the pan I used for onions and cook over medium to medium low for 2-3 minutes. Add rice and cook for another minute or so. Should be plenty hot.
All in all takes about 40 minutes which is much faster. Downside is you’re adding about 50 cents a meal to your cost. It’s also not QUITE as good as taking your time.
I do use a slightly different spice mixture usually. I use 2 tsp cumin, 2 tsp of coriander, 1 tsp of cinnamon 1/2 tsp cayenne, and salt to taste.
And like others I also use a yogurt sauce but mine is just lemon, salt and garlic.
Anyway, I love your site and all the recipes you share. Very much appreciated.
We had this tonight. It was ok. It was rather plain and needed salt. I added Himalayan salt to it and it tasted much better. I will make things Aidan but with different spices and add salt to it.
I will make this recipe different but add different spices and salt to it. It needed at least 4 cups of broth. I used homemade chicken broth. I corrected this as the first version of my reply didn’t make sense.
I’ve made this many times. I love it topped with really chunky tzaziki sauce and served with a side of cinnamon-spiced iced tea. Oh. I’ve also taken to swapping out the rice for quinoa.
Okay I commented three years ago and this is still one of my go-to dishes. I always do chores while the onions are caramelizing, it’s perfect. I am so excited about these additions: 1) In 8oz carton of plain yogurt, throw: 1tsp ground cinnamon, 1tsp ground coriander, couple shakes of cayenne, squeeze of lemon juice, big pinch of salt. Mix it up right in the cup. 2) While you’re caramelizing onions, soak lentils in just enough water to submerge, it’ll cut down cooking time. 3) Also while caramelizing, throw 1/2 shredded red cabbage in a bowl with a few big squirts of lemon juice and a very generous amount of salt (you’re making brine/quick pickles, so really go for it). Give that sucker a good toss every so often. Would probably work with carrots too. 5) Butter in yer onions. Probably 2 tbsp? Dang fam. 4) I’m still all about that Ras al Hanout, I throw in probably 1.5 tbsp BEFORE separating out the caramelized onions. Toast the spices, mix it up, separate your topping-onions, then throw in rice/lentils/broth. 5) I go with 3 cups of broth–or more specifically, 3 cups water with one heaping tablespoon of Better Than Boullion.
FINALLY: Serve with onions on top, a dollop of spiced yogurt on one side and a gorgeous bunch of pickled cabbage on the other. THIS RECIPE IS LIFE
I love those additions! Thank you for sharing!
We made a yogurt sauce (just lemon, salt and pepper) and the pickled cabbage – SO DELICIOUS! I used the rest of the cabbage in a salad and it was amazing. This is going to become a regular part of my life! Thank you for sharing!
This was absolutely delicious! And a lot like other mujaddara I’ve had. Be patient on the onions, it’s worth it.
I added a little cinnamon, based on prior comments. I think next time I’d add some ground coriander too!
I used small green lentils and the cook time was fine. I did add a little more broth, with heat off and lid on, at the end to give this a bit more moisture.
Just cooked this for dinner for the first time and I couldn’t be happier about it! I pre-cooked green lentils in my pressure cooker and used brown rice instead of jasmin and it still worked perfectly. An amazing heart-warming dish.
I’m surprised at the good reviews. This was a 1/5 for me. Just not a good flavor. Followed the recipe exactly and am definitely throwing it out.
This is so simple yet SO delicious. My son’s daycare lady is Lebanese and turns out she makes this all the time for the kids and my son loves it! I pair this with whole wheat Lebanese pita bread (Hanna’s – it has no preservatives or additives) as well as a salad I make with cucumbers, radishes, tomatoes, onions and the dressing is sour cream, salt, pepper and stevia (can use sugar of course, but why bother?) Thank you Beth for another winner!
I forgot to mention that I use whole cloves and whole all spice instead. Just seems to be more to my taste this way :)
Oh man, that’s way too much clove. My mouth feels so weird now. I’d half it down to 1/8 next time.
Here is a quick way to brown and caramelize the onions that I found! It worked well and cut down prep time! https://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/12/30/a-quick-way-to-caramelize-onions/
The taste was delicious, but I would highly recommend cooking the lentils first at least halfway because the rice and lentils have different cooking times (I ended up with mushy rice to get the lentils cooked right). Mine also needed more liquid to cook.
But I’ll definitely make this again with some adjustments!
Maybe brown rice would work better for you; it has a longer cook time.
Omg! This is amazing ❤️
I love this! I learned to make this about 40yrs ago from my Egyptian neighbor. She also mixed fried onions into the 1c rice n 1c lentils, 2tbls cumin, 1tsp gr. coriander, salt and 6-8 pieces of mistika. That mistika is a must! She topped the whole shebang with some spicy tomato sauce/vinegar/hot pepper concoction n then the dark crispy fried onions.
Sounds amazing!!
I’m Lebanese and this is totally different than any Mujaddara recipes that my family or community has ever made. Mujaddara is usually a soup, or at least stew texture not dry like this. Nice try but no cigar.
Rhukaya, is there another recipe you could recommend? I’m interested in trying this dish but I’ve never had it so it’s hard to find a recipe that looks good. Thanks!
I make no claims to being Lebanese, however I did attend a church that was predominantly composed of families with Syrian and/or Lebanese heritage for 5 or so years. Every family that ever brought Mujuddara in for church dinners was more like this, not a soup or stew, no liquid was left in the dish. Their versions typically though didn’t just have caramelized onions on top, rather almost blackened and crispy onions, though just how blackened and crispy was dependent on exactly which family made it. And for some of the people those blackened onions, with their almost burnt flavor, was the very best part. Not sure how they made theirs though, I moved away from the area a few years back.
I’m also Lebanese, and Mujaddara is similar to this in texture, but I’m seeing a couple of missing spices. My family also adds cinnamon and ground caraway.
Finally got around to making this after years of eyeing it up, and I’m so glad I did! A perfect adventure for a weekend afternoon.
I made this today and it was fantastic! I left out the allspice because I didn’t have any. And I used green lentils that I soaked in hot water while the onions were caramelizing, which was a recommendation from someone else’s review. Super easy recipe! The rice and lentils were soft but not mushy. The very bottom burned a bit (I had it on the 2nd stovetop level instead of simmer) but I don’t mind. It was basically just a little crunchy rice mixed in. It’s definitely lighter on flavor, so I recommend putting in an extra bouillon cube or adding some salt at the end. This recipe tastes just like the mujaddara at my favorite Mediterranean restaurant. Thanks for the 10/10 recipe
I made this in a crockpot last week. It took a lot longer using the crockpot, but it worked and tasted great in the end. I put the onions in first (all of them) with the oil and cooked them on high until they were golden. I added the rest of the ingredients and left the crockpot on high for a couple of hours and then turned it down to low and let it cool overnight. I
This was excellent! So flavorful, simple, and cheap to make.
I made this today and it is amazing! Having never made it before I was ambitious and went ahead and doubled the recipe. Followed recipe exact aside from adding two tsp of salt. I also used the super small brown lentils and soaked them for about an hour before cooking with the rice. For the rice I used white basmati. Thank you for this delicious dish that both my children will eat. Also love that it’s vegan😊
Wow—this was absolutely delicious!!! It turned out perfectly even though I had green lentils instead of brown. I just soaked them in hot water while the onions were caramelizing. This is such a cozy, comforting meal I can see myself making all winter long. So inexpensive and full of nutrients, too. I added 1/4 tsp cayenne powder but otherwise followed the recipe to the letter. Perfection!!! Thank you!
Isnt cooking the rice for 30 mins too long?
If it were by itself it would probably be too long. It cooks a little differently when it’s with all the other ingredients. That being said, some people have had great results with this recipe, some have not been satisfied with how the rice turned out.
I made this with brown jasmine rice because I didn’t have white rice. The cooking time had to be extended but it was tasty.. thanks.
I cooked this dish today and it was DELICIOUS! Thank you for sharing this. I altered the recipe because I am cooking only for myself, and it came out perfectly.
I ate it with a sautéed kale and had a satisfying, full meal!
I made this today and it was delicious.
so this may be a really stupid question, but is there anything I can substitute for the onions? or is that just not possible with this dish? it looks yummy, but I’m allergic to onions.
While you can definitely make this without the caramelized onions, I would say that they are the highlight of the dish. I’m not sure there is anything that you could use in their place that is similar.
Try caramelised grated carrot instead – have not tried it, but i think it could work well, and add some extra vedges to the dish
I wonder if leeks would work well to replace the onions. Or if leeks are too closely related to onions, would you be allergic to those too? Thinly sliced cabbage would be a different taste, but sounds good.
You could also try caramelizing finely sliced fennel bulbs. They are so delicious.
Absolutely delicious! Although it does take time, it is actually very simple to make. This dish has such a unique flavor and I love how cheap it is.
What would go well with this dish?
This was delicious! I used my Instant Pot. We are it for a couple days. My daughter requested a bigger amount this week for easy lunch. Home run, Beth!
When you say you made it in your Instant Pot, can you tell me more? I also was thinking about making it in my IP, but wasn’t sure about timing. Did you still cook the onions for an hour on the saute function? And how long did you cook the rice/lentils for? Thank you for any info you have!
I would love more details on how you converted this for your IP. I’m a new IP owner and have loved Mujadarra for years!
So you think this could be made in the Instant Pot?
I think someone else mentioned that they did it in an IP, but I don’t know what setting would be best.
Smear on opened PITA with Lebanese salad. Roll it up. Mujaddara sandwich…yum.
Is there any way that i can make this dish spicer? I made it and it was very delicious but i was wondering what other veggies or spices i could add to it?
When you say spicy, do you mean hot? If so, you can add some cayenne pepper to the spice mix. If you’re looking for more flavor in general, I would try increasing the current spices and the salt. Sometimes just a pinch or two more of salt can really make the flavors POP.
I wasn’t successful making this as written, my lentils were still crunchy and the mix burned to the bottom of the pot. Might have something to do with the fact that I used calrose rice. However the flavor was really good.
I then made it by cooking the lentils and the rice separately (halved the cooked onions into each respective pot) and then mixed them together at the end, which was a winner. I also used the rice cooker for the rice for ultimate convenience.
Although this makes a DELICIOUS vegan dish, I think it would be great with a dollop of yoghurt as well!
If you eat it with a yogurt sauce: yogurt, wee bit of salt, garlic, and some kind of green herb (dill, coriander, mint whatever) It tastes great! Also, I don’t have any allspice so an alternative I found that tastes good (no idea if it’s the same taste as allspice though) Is equal parts cinnamon, ground clove and cinnamon.
I make this all the time however I use about 2.5 tsp of a spice blend called “Garam Masala” instead of the spices you listed. Its amazing. I especially love it with dill pickles and humus on the side!
I know it says this serves 6, but just so everyone knows, it’s too delicious to share with that many people.
(Thanks for all these delicious vegan recipes, it’s making my life so much easier!!)
This looks delicious! I could only find Pardina lentils here in Spain, no cloves, and no allspice… For the spices I guess I’ll try the Ras El Hanout I bought in Morocco, but what do you suggest I do with for the lentils? The package includes no directions whatsoever, has anyone heard of it and does it cook in 20 to 30 minutes like brown lentils? Should I try cooking them separately? Thank you, I can’t wait to try the proper recipe when I go back home but I’m hoping I’ll make a reasonable substitute with a few tweaks while I’m here :)
Unfortunately I’ve never heard of that type of lentil! :( I think your best bet might be Google.
i was wondering if I could substitute with brown rice, and if so, do you know the changes I would need to make to the recipe for that to work?
The recipe would have to change quite a bit because brown rice requires more liquid and a longer cooking time. It’s too difficult to guess without testing the methods.
Try adding nutmeg…
Hi Beth,
I love caramelizing these onions– my first time! Unfortunately, however, the same thing happened with this recipe as when I tried to make the Tomato Herb Rice with White Beans and Spinach– not enough liquid, so it dried out and ended up burning. I don’t think there was ever enough to even reach a boil. Now I know to modify in the future, but can you think of any reason why a few of us seem to be experiencing this issue? Thanks! Love your website! Hello from the 9th ward.
I wonder why this is happening to only some people. What type of skillet or pot are you using? Does it have a tight fitting lid? I find that having really thick and heavy cookware makes a HUGE difference.
What a great platform for caramelized onions! The spice blend is not one I would ever have come up with on my own.
After reading the comments, I decided to take the easy way out and caramelize onions overnight in a slow cooker. I then warmed them with a little oil, and proceeded as directed, except I par-boiled the lentils (15 minutes), drained, and added with the rice. Less vegetable broth, too…just enough for the rice. Overall, it needed salt, but boy, is this good! I also included the yogurt many mentioned. Nice contrast.
What a rich, earthy flavor! I amended the recipe by adding about 1 Tbsp. of soy sauce to the simmering rice and lentils (in an attempt at getting some umami in there), then topped each serving with a yogurt sauce–shredded cucumber, plain yogurt, dill, and a pinch each of cumin and salt. The tart, cool freshness of the yogurt complemented the lentils and rice quite nicely.
Thanks!
I made this for my family; I doubled the recipe. They absolutely loved it.
I didn’t use so much of the seasonings in the recipe. I only used pinches of the glove and allspice. I used the Cumin as mentioned. I used some Turmeric, Cinnamon, Garlic and added some craisins.
The brown lentils were still crunchy after the cooking time. Next time I will probably soak the lentils in water before cooking.
I will definitely make this again. The family loved it.
The tastes here were great! I didn’t have cloves or allspice so I used some nutmeg, cinnamon and turmeric. I added garlic at he last minute and it tastes fantastic! It tastes so fantastic I’m going to eat it despite the lentils being underdone after a half hour while the rice was all done. I topped it with sauteed spinach and it was perfect. It would be really great with a fried egg!
This is the first recipe I’ve tried from this site and I’m sold!
I just made this! I was a little worried about the rice and lentils not cooking through, but it turned out perfectly! I did add a tiny bit of extra water, but I don’t think it was all that necessary. The onions were also caramelized and lovely after an hour, so I would definitely say that this recipe was a success for me. Topped with a fried egg, it was satisfying and filling. Will definitely make it again!
I really wanted to like this.. The onions took almost 3 hours to caramelize, and then when I cooked the lentils they were still crunchy after 30 minutes. I had to add in more water and the whole thing turned to mush.. This was so frustrating. :( I had to throw the whole thing out.
Mmm! So good! Tastes much like how my in laws make it (from Lebanon). I only sautéed the onions because otherwise it’d take way too long for my likings and used 2 cups of veg broth as the cube was to be dissolved in 2 c water.
I made a half batch in case I didn’t like it. I’ll definitely be making full batches and freezing extras!
I don’t know where you got your extremely low prices, but this dish would cost at minimum $10-$12… let’s be realistic here…
I think she’s divided up the cost of each product. My cost was likely even less than what she put!
$10-$12?? Where do you shop? It’s just rice, onions, and lentils basically. I mean, if you have to buy a brand new jar of each spice maybe, but it’s not like you use the whole jar for this one recipe.
I really wish this would have worked out for me. The food at the bottom burned and some of the rice and lentils were still hard. The seasoning was unfortunately bitter. Next time I will soak the rice and lentils and add salt and pepper, hopefully that’ll help.
Does this recipe have a lot of calories? I’m on a weightloss diet but I still really wanted to cook these…
This has become one of my absolute favorite dishes to make. I’ve started freezing batches of caramelized onions so that I can whip it up whenever! I love to eat it with pita bread and plain yogurt mixed with lemon juice–all three of those things in one bite is pure bliss.
If you can get your hands on Trader Joe’s “Spice Route” including a jar of Ras al Hanout (not exclusive to Trader Joe’s, but the price point is pretty compelling), I HIGHLY recommend substituting that blend for the spices! It’s apparently traditional for this dish and just does crazy wonderful things to it. It has all the same spices as this recipe, plus quite a few more!
We have a TJ opening here this year and I can NOT wait!! :)
Allspice? Doesn’t that have a strong clove taste? Hmmmm, I don’t know.
Can I do this in the crockpot or rice coker? I don’t want to stand over the stove for and hour and a half. What would crockpot/rice cooker times look like?
I hate lentils, and rice most of the time, but this recipe was amazing. I actually liked it, and not only that I would make it again. I added mushrooms and parsley and put in the rice cooker. The only thing I would do differently is make more carmelized onions.
I liked this dish but my husband wasn’t as into it. It took me almost 2 hours to carmelize the onions, next time I need carmelized onions I will try them in the crockpot thanks to a commenter here. This dish was really filling and mild enough for my toddler!
I went to LSU and Serop’s was one of my FAVORITE places to eat (along with Albasha) with a vegetarian friend of mine! The first time I ate the mujaddara, I fell in love with the velvety texture of the lentils. And the onions gave a nice crunch and seasoning! As I am embarking on my own vegan lifestyle, I cannot WAIT to make this recipe! I will post after it is made—thanks so much for sharing!!
This is the first recipe I’ve tried off your site that I didn’t like. I like the idea of lentils, rice, and caramelized onions, but I’m not a fan of the cumin/allspice/cloves blend.
I’m going to try this again, but I plan to use some of the taco seasoning I made up instead.
Tried this tonight for Christmas Eve dinner and it was delicious! This was my first time cooking and my first time eating lentils.
It took almost an hour to cook the lentils all the way and an extra cup and a half of liquid BUT not sure if that has to do with my stove, pot (cast iron) or what but it was all a great learning experience and all in all, delicious!
Between this and my vegan chili recipe, they are great, easy, large meals I can cook on the weekend and pack for lunches.
Thank you for sharing!
You can soak the lentils (or beans too) the night or a few hours before to soften them up. I would just cook them separately from the rice so you make sure nothing overcooks.
I haven’t tried your recipe yet, but I definitely will. i love this dish and have not tried to make it, but I’m wondering if some lemon juice at the end may not brighten up the flavor. The Lebanese place in Philly where I was first introduced to this dish seems to add it to a lot of things.
Will it make a difference if I use brown rice?
Unfortunately you won’t be able to make a clean swap in this recipe because brown rice requires more moisture and a longer cooking time. I’d have to experiment with it before giving direction on that.
Brown rice works, though it might be good to put it in before the lentils and you’d need to add a little more liquid (I played mine by ear and added more on a “that looks right” basis). You might also want to add a little more by way of the seasonings as well (or add more onions, or both), because brown rice does have a slightly stronger taste.
Could you use green lentils?
You might have to cook them separately because they take much longer to cook than brown lentils.
Made this tonight, added a dollop of greek yoghurt and a fried egg on top. Total comfort food.
A quick tip for those who can’t find brown lentils: I’ve found that brown is the default color for lentils. The companies I’ve seen in stores only mention the color for the other varieties. Get a bag labeled “lentils” and compare them to Beth’s handy photos.
Thanks for the tip! Trying the recipe today :)
The flavors in this recipe are on point! Unfortunately i decided to follow the advice of other commenters and increase the liquid in the recipe. As a result my rice turned to complete mushy paste. However, my lentils were just barely perfectly cooked. Next time I might try pre-soaking or cooking the lentils to try to even out the cooking times for the rice and lentils.
Another thing to note, the onions took 1.5 hours to caramelize properly on medium heat on my stove.
Yum! I had this for dinner. I only had green lentils, so I pre-cooked them for about 10-15minutes first. I also added in some steamed broccoli and green beans at the end to get in some veges. I have been making caramelised onions in the slow cooker and freezing them. It’s super easy and it’s so handy to be able to grab them out, defrost them in the microwave and chuck them into dishes like this, or onto pizzas. A great time saver!
How long do you typically put the onions in the slow cooker for?
LOVE this recipe!! I’ve made this three times so far (within a span of 4 days — no one’s complained yet ;)) and it’s delicious every time. Thank you especially for that excellent tip about the color of lentils! So glad I know that now. In my latest rendition of your mujaddara, I added chopped shiitake and spinach, and used the shiitake soaking liquid to cook the rice/lentils in. Mmm… Anyway, thanks so much for your awesome site, Beth! I love that your meals are economical yet packed with flavor!
I used something called “Eston Lentils”. I used a bit of extra broth and put in a small (but extremely hot) chili pepper to add certain picante accent to the dish. It worked really well.
Making this tonight. Having to use barley instead of rice, though. That’s the only grain I have on hand besides instant brown rice, which would turn to paste if I cooked it as long as the lentils take. Caramelizing onions right now and house smells fantastic!
Update:
It came out great! As others have said, I had to increase the broth. My flavors were different, but I really enjoyed it. I did the whole caramelized onions/broth/lentils/grain thing, but decided to do different seasonings. After all the crazy stuff I’ve been hearing about peanuts in cumin (I have a peanut allergy), I rarely use it. I wasn’t so sure about the other spices. Ended up using thyme, rosemary, garlic, and fresh black pepper to is season.
Since I’m not sure whether this is supposed to be a side dish or main meal, I’m treating it as a main meal. Had 1/4 of it tonight instead of 1/6 and divided the rest into three for later this week.
Love this recipe. Thanks so much for sharing. Whole family scarfed it down.
I made this earlier in the week and it came out great! I read the comments about adding extra liquid but figured that a “crumbly” mixture would be okay with what the recipe said. So I rinsed my rice like I always do and added only a tiiiiny bit extra liquid to the recipe to play it safe. I regretted adding the bit of extra liquid, since the rice was a bit softer than I would have liked. The lentils had a bit more texture, which balanced it out well though. And it smelled GREAT while cooking!
Thanks as usual Beth :)
Another top notch recipe. I can’t seem to find brown lentils anywhere, so I ended up using green lentils. Still turned out great!
This is so delicious!!! I bought a 900ml box of Veggie broth and ended up using the entire thing so it wouldn’t be too dry. Turned out perfect! Love your site! Thanks for all the great recipes. :)
And how is 2.5 cups of broth even remotely enough liquid to cook a cup of rice and cup of lentils? You need a ratio of 2 parts liquid to one part of rice or lentils at the minimum! I certainly had to add 2 more cups of liquid very quickly as all the broth got absorbed.
Also, the onions took more like 2 hours to caramelize, not one hour. I’m thinking medium heat rather than low.
I wish I’d read all the way through about brown lentils not being the same as green lentils. My Whole Foods doesn’t stock brown lentils and I just assumed they called them green lentils. :/
Great recipe! I’ve found that the rice/lentils can cook together in the rice cooker, you can even use the broth in replace of the water, super simple and delicious!
This is awesome – I’d never heard of mujaddara before. I did the lentils separately (could only find brown) and subbed the ground cloves for cinnamon. Served with Greek yogurt, harrisa and cilantro. (we bought harrisa in a jar for pretty cheap at Whole Foods and need every reason to eat it up!) I was thinking of the many ways I could screw with this – with roasted mushrooms/veggies? Could you throw toasted nuts in here? Love this! Thanks, Beth!
(sorry – could only find green lentils, I meant.)
I bet toasted nuts would be amazing!
I don’t know why it is in Canada but I’ve looked in 4 different grocery stores for brown lentils only to find they’re stocked with green and red mostly, but no brown. I guess it’s not that common here.
It’s not just Canada. I can’t find brown lentils here in Silver Spring, MD. But I looked them up and they’re supposed to be the basic kind of lentils, but nobody stocks them!
If you want the caramelization process to go a little faster, stir 1 Tbsp. of sugar into the onions.
I wonder if the missing element may be saffron? I’ve cooked this dish twice now, once with and once without saffron, and the addition of saffron seemed to be the missing ingredient that made the flavor “pop.”
Beware, though — saffron is prohibitively expensive!
Oh that sounds fantastic, though!
I don’t know about saffron, but I would also like to know how to speed up the caramelization process. It took MUCH longer than an hour following these instructions.
How long would something like this keep (if properly stored) in the fridge?
About a week. It also freezes well. :)
Made this today – I was worried that it might be dry, like some other people have said, because it looked dry on top while it was cooking inside the pot, but when I took off the lid, it was perfect. Great way to clean out some staples without needing to go to the store.
I actually did use red lentils and while they didn’t hold their shape at all, it still tasted great. Nice crumbly texture.
I served it with a side of greek yogurt mixed with lemon and spices, and also slathered it in sriracha because I couldn’t resist.
This is my favorite meal from one I was a kid. I personally will only ever eat it with a tangy plain yogurt or with a simple cucumber and tomato salad with a lemon and salt dressing.
I only have Green Lentils available to me. I wonder, would it work if I boiled them separately for maybe 15 minutes, drain them, and then add them with the dry rice and broth? Or should I just cook them separately all the way through? I’m worried about them being kind of bland if I do that.
I would cook them separately all the way through. Cook the rice with the onions and spices, and for broth only use the amount of water you would normally use to cook that amount f rice.
That seemed to work fine, at least both the rice and lentils cooked evenly. I threw in a dash of cumin and allspice in with the lentils to keep them from being too bland, but I don’t think it made a huge difference in the end there.
I might need to revisit this one though since I failed to properly caramelize the onions and I think a lot of flavor was lost as a result. I’m too impatient!
I could only find green lentils as well, I ended up cooking them together with brown rice instead so they’d have a similar cooking time and it came out great. Probably a little longer than the lentils would normally have needed to cook but they held up fine.
You could also soak the lentils in water the day before. I always do that, and they cook through at about the same time as white rice that way.
I’ve always made this dish with green lentils. You can either start the lentils first then add white rice and additional broth halfway through the cooking time, or use brown rice and cook them both together.
This dish is worth the time! I made brown rice in my rice cooker with the spices and threw in a can of chickpeas instead of lentils because that is what I had on hand when the rice was done, and caramelized the onions on the stove. I combined all the components and it turned out delicious! The spice combo and the onions are a match made in heaven!
I made this today, only had two onions so I skipped the topping (sad) and made it with green lentils and brown rice. I doubled the liquid (used water), increased the cooking time. When it was done I salted it at the table. It was so good. Definitely making again. Thanks for the recipe.
I’ve made this twice in the past week! It’s delicious, keeps well, and is really forgivable–I’ve varied the number of onions and the type of spices (as someone suggested, I tried it with Ras al Hanout–delicious!). An awesome accompaniment is a seasoned lemon yogurt dip.I the juice/zest of 1 lemon with a tub of plain yogurt, then added mujaddara seasoning to taste.
Other commenters were right about the liquid, I didn’t believe at first but ended up adding almost an additional cup and a half. Rice came out a bit sticky but maybe because of the extra water? Otherwise it was delicious and plenty of food!
Definitely will make this again!
this is an interesting recipe! i might try this week. :)
Yum! This worked perfectly for me as written (although my onions were cut too large, so caramelizing took longer)–no broth adjustments needed. This is the recipe I’ve been waiting for to finally make me like lentils!
I tried this tonight and it was fabulous! My husband even liked it and he’s not into this kind of stuff, haha! I ended up using a little extra cooking liquid, and used canned lentils instead since that’s what I had on hand. I just added the lentils in at the last 10 minutes to warm up. Can’t wait to eat the leftovers tomorrow (likely with some curry roasted carrots and a fried egg– yum!)
Wonderful stuff! Made it last week but had to use more liquid than recipe called for. I started to brown the onions in my Ninja slow cooker (the insert is metal) and cooked them on low until carmelized. Served this with za’atar spiced oven roasted chicken thighs and a simple tomato-cucumber-onion salad. Can’t wait to serve this to guests.
Similarly to others, I had to add one more cup of broth and simmer 15 minutes longer (on my smallest burner at the lowest setting). Well, that’s the beauty of cooking – it’s never 100% predictable.
I love mujaddara but never bothered to make it as I assumed it was complicated, but you made it super easy. Mine turned mushy so I need to play around with the amount of liquid next time around, but the flavor was all there.
I’ve made dozens of BudgetBytes recipes, and this is the only one that’s been a failure. The 2.5 cups of water was completely gone after only 5 minutes of simmering–the mixture was bone dry and sticking to the bottom of the pot, even though my burner was on the lowest setting. I ended up needing about double the liquid. After 30 minutes the rice was done but the lentils (brown) were nowhere near there. Not to mention, the onions took well over an hour to caramelize.
My experience was exactly the same. Everything ended up tasting good once I adjusted the liquid (and spent 2 hours caramelizing onions), but I’m not exactly sure why the liquid was so sparse. In the description, it mentioned mujaddara being “crumbly”, are the rice and lentils supposed to be under cooked??
No, they aren’t supposed to be under cooked. :) The restaurant version is just crumbly as in the rice and lentils did not hold their shape. I couldn’t even tell what it was until I Googled it. :P I suspect that different types of lentils may need a different amount of liquid, but the amount listed above was enough to soften both my rice and lentils. Recipes are like that, though. They often need to be tweaked a little to fit each person’s ingredients and equipment.
Yeah, I had a similar experience where the liquid wasn’t nearly enough, so it ended up extremely dry and somewhat undercooked.
Also COVER the pot when cooking the lentils and rice. I have no idea why it says to cover when bringing to the boil and uncover when cooking on low heat; you need to do the precise opposite. I sure hope they aren’t paying these authors anything…
I don’t see where you saw that it says to uncover the pot. I just went back to make sure that there wasn’t a mistake that I needed to fix, but I don’t see it. Can you tell me where? Thanks.
I’ve made this recipe before and now it’s making me hungry! I like the thought of a cucumber and tomato salad on the side too. I’ll have to do that next time!
Made this last night; a real hit. The whole house smells great, everyone loved it.
Hi Beth,
I always caramelize onions in my slow cooker and freeze. Do you know how much (more or less than a cup) you have once the onions cook down? I figure using mine would save a lot of time (might use crispy onions on top though)
I would say it was about a cup once cooked down.
amazeballs. what a small world! i grew up on east dearborn cuisine and lived in ann arbor for years!
can’t wait for the rice/lentil combo to finish.
xxalainaxx
I love Mujaddara! Like you said initially, there are many variations of this dish. I learned to make it from a Syrian American and she made it with Bulgur. I like to make carmelized onions in a slow cooker and I think this dish benefits from extra onions on top. Great served with yogurt!
This was delicious! I read and the recipe and just had to come home and make it. The only thing I had to contend with is that I don’t have a stove top, just an electric skillet. For next time, should increase the volume of liquid by a cup and double the spices?
Yes, if it was a bit dry, try increasing the liquid. Doubling the spices just means double the flavor, so that sounds like a good plan! ;)
Beth, your description of trying to get the flavors right reminded me of another recipe I had stumbled across years ago – Ras El Hanout. This is a Moroccan spice mix that is as varied as curry can be.
http://spicelines.com/2006/10/17/ras-el-hanout-the-secret-ingredient-in-moroccan-cooking-lifting-chicken-and-vegetables-from-the-ordinary-to-the-sublime/
Oh wow, that stuff sounds GOOD!
I had to make this ASAP when I saw you posted it. :-) I didn’t get 6 servings, but maybe that’s because it was our entire meal? I got a little over three servings. Or maybe we just eat a lot. Ha! :-)
Very interesting taste and flavor combo. I served it with sour cream on the top…because I like to put sour cream on everything. :-)
I’m not sure if our onions were larger, but it took almost two hours for them to carmelize. Also, didn’t read the step by step directions until after we had already purchased green lentils. Cooked them separetly in broth, but found 1.5 c of liquid was not enough for the rice. The flavors of this dish were good, but not sure I would spend 2.5 hours again…
Yeah for some reason nobody actually stocks brown lentils anymore, even though all these recipes call for it.
I made this tonight with brown jasmine rice and pardina lentils (they both took about 50 minutes to cook). It was great topped with leftover roast chicken and potatoes and a tahini sauce. There’s a place in Toronto that serves amazing mujaddara with their shwarma plates, and I was trying to recreate that flavour balance. Chopped tomatoes and cucumbers as a side would have made it so close to perfect…
This looks amazing! Quick question….I only have green and red lentils. Could I substitute one of those in this dish? Thank you so much for you website!! My family loves all of the recipes I make from you. Keep up the great work, Beth!!!
Definitely use the green, not red because the red will break down far too much. You’ll need to cook the green lentils separately, though, and add them in at the end. Use 1.5 cups of broth when cooking the rice in the onions and spices, and boil the lentils according to the package directions.
What is the green stuff you tossed in at the end? Cilantro or maybe parsley? Definitely makes it prettier but didn’t see under ingredients.
Yeah, I had some cilantro sitting around so I just added it so the pictures would have more color. It’s not part of the recipe or needed for flavor.
Going on my list to try next week! Looks delicious. :-)
I’d love to make this and have all the ingredients, but its not Monday (meatless monday in my house) and my husband just aaaabsolutely needs meat to go with it! Any suggestions for a pork chop recipe that would pair nicely with the Mujaddara as a side dish?
I’ve been thinking that Tandoori Chicken would go good with it.
I tried these two together. It was the tastiest set of meals I’ve had in a while. Perfect level of spice (though I added more in each recipe) mixed with some yogurt. Nutritious. Filling. Amazing.
I have nothing other than gushing to add.
you gotta eat it with yougert, really it makes it MUCH better.
When studying in israel I would get these super processed mujadara cups that you just add hot water too. It was easy and I was desperate.
HELP!! I made this just now, and my lentils are still totally hard!! The rice is perfectly done! I don’t even know what to do now, I followed the recipe exactly. I used dry lentils, not cooked right??? Mine are still raw, and gross!!!
By the way, I just wanted to add that I did use BROWN lentils.
Hmm, they must be a different kind of brown lentil? That’s the only thing I can think of because mine were also dry. You can try to add a little more water and keep simmering although your rice may break down a bit more. It’s worth a shot, though.
Just regular brown lentils. Package says simmer 15-20 minutes. I tried adding liquid and continuing to heat on low but it’s not helping, the rice is sticking to the bottom, and getting mushy on the bottom, and the lentils are not cooking. Maybe this recipe doesn’t work at high altitude, or my lentils are OLD, though I buy them at Walmart regularly so I wouldn’t think so. Huge bummer!!
Age is definitely a contributing factor in legume cooking time. In addition, combining acid, sugar, and calcium will make them take significantly longer to cook. Seeing as the sugar from the onions is necessary for the recipe, you might try adding a pinch of baking soda to up the pH or using filtered water if you’re using a hard water.
Sorry it didn’t work out for you! :( And if it’s any consolation at all (probably not), the mujaddarah from the restaurant that I like so much is so broken down that I couldn’t even tell that it was rice and lentils. :) Just a brown crumbly mixture!
This sounds right up my alley. I’ll also be trying the brown-rice version mentioned in the comments above; I almost never keep white rice in the house.
Speaking of which, I’m also fairly certain I don’t have any cloves. Any idea what might make a good substitute?
You can use some cinnamon instead. I’d use a little more, though, like 1/2 tsp.
I’m so bummed. I totally failed at this. I cooked the onions for 2.5 hours and they still weren’t right. Then went to cook the rice & beans and they took forever, too! I’ve made a ton of your meals and absolutely love your website! I’m going to try this again after I get a new stove. :-|
I made this tonight and it was delicious! Because I had basmati rice and green lentils, I cooked the lentils separately. Definitely on the make-again list!
Could you use chicken broth instead of vegetable?
Yes, you could. :)
This is probably one of the only recipes out there that are vegan, dirt cheap and easy – all at the same time. My boyfriend and I make it all the time when we want to add some substance to a main dish and not spend too much on sides. Thank you for posting! :)
I made this last night. I was delicious! I added a touch of cayenne because I can’t seem to cook anything without it, and the bit of heat worked really well. The onions took 1:40 minutes to caramelize. I think I had the heat a little too low.
Definitely 2.5 cups of broth? That’s only a half cup more liquid than I would use for the one cup of rice. Just want to be sure so I don’t mess it up. Looks delicious! Step by step photos rule.
You can up it a bit to 2.75 just to be sure if you’re a bit uneasy. That will just make the rice and lentils a tad bit softer, but not terribly so. I usually do 1.5 cups of water per cup of white rice, but used to do 2 cups water per cup of rice. There is a little wiggle room there. :)
You were right. I followed the recipe with 2.5 cups and it came out great. A little bit of texture worked well to keep it from being mushy. This is delicious. I served it with some roast pork tenderloin.
America’s Test Kitchen has a version of mujaddara in one the current season’s episodes (the episode title is “Broiled Pork Tenderloin”) which is out of this world. They deep-fry the onions for crispy texture to contrast the softer rice and lentils. OM NOM NOM!
Beth, I eat at Serop’s Express in Baton Rouge at least twice a week, but I have never tried their Mujaddara. I’ll give it a try tomorrow. Thanks for this recipe. I don’t suppose you have perfected recipe for Moussaka, my primary addiction?
YES, get the mujaddara as soon as possible! :) So, the moussaka was one of my other favorites from Serops and when I googled that one all the recipes were completely different than what they serve… So, I have no idea how to even start to make what they have! :P I wish they’d open a restaurant in New Orleans!
Yum! I love mujhadara. It tastes so good and is so cheap to make! I usually cook all three elements separately but I will definitely need to try this one pot method next time I make it (which will be soon as I’ve been craving it). I usually add a bunch of different spices to the onions including cayenne pepper, paprika, and cinnamon. I love to eat it topped with plain greek yogurt and walnuts and raisins for breakfast!
I want this in my belly right now. Oh my! Looks like dinner sometime this week will be mujaddara.
I can’t wait to try this! And so happy to see a mention of Serop’s. I lived in BR for years and there was a Serop’s Express around the corner from where I worked. I probably ate there at least once a week for the 4 years before I came back north. Now I’m so hungry for their chicken schwarma salad, or a falafal gyro. :)
How big are the yellow onions you used (appointment volume of sliced per onion or total)? I ask because the onions in my store are the size of softballs, about 2 cups of sliced onion per onion, and I believe four of that size would be to much. Love your recipes and can not wait to try this one!
They’re about the size of a regular baseball. I’m not sure how many cups once sliced. The great thing about caramelized onions, though, is that they cook down to a very small fraction of their original size, so if your onions are bigger, it will still work just fine. It’s very flexible. :) The more onions the better for this one!
Agreed. I just got four yellow onions, and three of them thinly sliced completely filled my 3 quart pan.
This looks so delicious and easy! Anything with caramelized onions is a win in my book
Don’t you know it, caramelized onion is my love language. This Mujaddara recipe is a news flash to me, I’ve never heard of it before! But I love ethnic food. And the wife has finally convinced me to eat lentils. So the gym teacher in me says “put me in coach, I’m ready to play!!”
There is a great Mejadra recipe in the Jerusalem cookbook. I recently made it. Heavily spiced and the onions are fried crispy. Really makes the dish.
We love lentils and are always looking for new ways to cook them. We love how long you stay full after eating them too. Thanks so much for sharing, I’ll let you know how ours turns out soon :)
Ottolenghi’s mejadra might have some of the magic you are looking for! This is the only one I’ve ever tried but it’s awesome, and as we all know, Ottolenghi is a flavour genius :) You can find the one I tried on Serious Eats.
Can’t wait to try yours!!
Thanks for the tip!!
One of the things I discovered when I researched mujaddara years ago, which is highly relevant to Fiona’s question, is that the rice and lentils are traditionally cooked separately, only combining after they are done, because most rice and lentils cook at different rates. If you cook them together, often either the rice goes mushy or the lentils don’t quite cook through. The taste suffers a bit too.
The other traditional thing I discovered was stirring in just a little olive oil after cooking. Only do this if you have a really good, fruity, tasty olive oil, though.
Thanks for your great recipes! I love lentils, snd caramelized onions are the best (I make a bunch and freeze them in small bags) but I truly don’t like white rice. How can I sub brown rice and what kind would work best? Long grain, short grain, basmati…. 69
You definitely want to use long grain for this because shorter grains will be too sticky. Brown rice will need more moisture and probably take longer to cook. Try three cups of water and a 40 minute simmer.
Ah thanks! I was about to ask the same thing!!! Thanks!
I know you warn not to substitute green lentils instead of brown, but they’re the only option in these parts. Would cooking them in the broth for the extra time before adding the rice work?
Hmm, yes, that might work!
I cooked mine for about 20 minutes in plain water, then drained them and added with the rice just like in the recipe. Worked great, they were nice and soft by the end.
Yum!!!! Thank you, Beth! This reminds me of those amazing middle eastern restaurants back in Dearborn, MI.
Ps: I LOVE your blog.
I first ran into mujaddara at a little restaurant called Jerusalem Garden in Ann Arbor, MI. I make my version with lots of garlic and coriander instead of the allspice.
Sometimes I eat it with a fried egg, or broiled eggplant slices. A little bit of crumbled feta is good on top, too.
Broiled eggplant!! Love the idea. Thanks, Ruth!
Ps: loved Jerusalem Garden and Earthen Jar. Miss AA so much. :)
That sounds delicious!! I haven’t tried mujaddara yet, and can’t wait to try this dish!! :-)
Jerusalem Garden is my favorite! I’m so looking forward to seeing them in their new location. :)
I’m making this for dinner tomorrow with some schawarma chicken and pita.
Love the shout-out to Serop’s Express. Nothing compares! I miss it…not much decent Greek/Lebanese in Houston.
I know isn’t it awful. Im from Chicago and I’ve been dying for a really good gyro since i moved here. I’ve yet to find one.
I love making Mujaddara! I add cinnamon to the onions while cooking. Sounds strange but it smells heavenly and adds a sweetness that can’t be beat!
This sounds awesome to me, but my husband is a carnivore- do you think chicken would be okay to add?
I don’t think I’d add meat to this dish, but serve it as a side dish to a separate meat recipe instead.
I’m Lebanese and we eat this dish quite a bit with Greek yogurt and a light salad(tomato, cucumber, mint, lemon, and olive oil). Yumm :)
I was just coming here to say this! The only way to eat mujaddara is with yogurt :)
My family is also Lebanese and we make 3 types, “with rice” (similar to the above recipe), “red” which is the one we top with caramelized and crispy onions, and “yellow” which is like a porridge and is eaten on its own. It’s a huge staple in the Levantine diet.
Another great lentil dish is a soup called adas bi hamod (lentils in lemon) – the name undersells it but it’s super simple and really warm and hearty in winter, I’d definitely recommend giving it a go!
Sounds great! Thanks for the info!
Do you think adding some green peas would ruin it? If so, what of your veggie dishes would pair well with this? Thanks!
Sharon, my Palestinian mother-in-law used to make this, but instead of using caramelized onions, she topped it with a simple chopped salad of tomatoes, green peppers, green onions, and cucumber. The contrast of the hot savory lentils and cool crisp vegetables is really delicious and addictive.
YUM! I must try that.
I agree with others. A simple tomato/cucumber/onion salad would be delightful. You can dress it with a simple vinaigrette.