Mujadara is an arabic word that means “pockmarked.” Basically it’s made up of lentils, rice (or bulgur) and onions. And they say lentils cooked with the rice look like pockmarks (pimples). That’s kind of a weird analogy for food. But nonetheless, the recipe is ancient and a very traditional Middle Eastern dish. It’s often referred to as peasant food because of how inexpensive and simple it is to make. In some regions mujadara is referred to as the dish made with lentils and bulgur, while mudardara is the one with lentils and rice.
Ingredients – makes 8 servings
- 2.5 cups small brown lentils rinsed
- 6 cups water
- 1 cup long grain rice rinsed and soaked (adjust cooking time depending on what type of rice you use)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 6 onions 5 chopped, and 1 sliced
- 2 teaspoons of Lebanese 7 spice or 1 tspn cumin
Method
- Bring lentils and water to a boil, simmer and cook covered until the lentils are tender but not fully cooked, about 15 minutes (there will be liquid leftover).
- Drain the soaked rice, add to the pot of lentils and season with salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook covered until the rice is tender, about 18 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat. Allow the rice to rest in the pot for about 5 minutes, without opening the lid, to absorb all the liquid and steam.
- In a separate large pan, heat two tablespoons of olive oil on medium heat and fry the chopped onions until golden brown, about 10-15 minutes. Transfer on top of the lentils and rice mixture, add cumin and toss to combine.
- In the same large pan used to cook the onions, heat the remaining olive oil on medium heat and fry the sliced onions until golden brown and caramelized, about 15 minutes. In the last couple minutes of frying the onions, you can turn up the heat to high to get a crispy texture.
- Serve the caramelized onions on top of mujadara with yogurt and mint, if desired.
Can be frozen for up to 3 months.
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