Mujadara – Middle Eastern Rice and Lentil Pilaf - Recipe
Mujadara is simply a mixture of rice and perfectly cooked lentils, spiked with a big dose of caramelized onions and a bit of cumin and cinnamon. Nutritious, satisfying, inexpensive, and easy to make, it is a hearty one dish meal served with just some Greek yogurt and maybe a cucumber salad, or it can be part of a larger Middle Eastern feast. It is best close to room temperature, not piping hot.
While the onions are caramelizing, you can cook the rice and lentils. If you don’t have time to slowly caramelize the onions, a hotter and faster fry can also give you delicious results, with a sweet brown surface and a little remaining crunch.
Many folks cook the rice and lentils together, but I find that doesn’t give enough control over their relative textures. Mujadara is best when the lentils are tender but not falling apart into soup.
You may wonder about the very small amounts of cinnamon and cumin. For my taste, mujadara is meant to be more earthy than spice heave, so I like them just as very subtle accents. Some of my blog readers agree, while others prefer to use much more. The choice is yours!
Mujadara – Middle Eastern Rice and Lentil Pilaf
- 3 pounds white onions, sliced moderately thin
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup white wine or vermouth (optional)
- 3 cups cooked brown or green lentils (not red lentils or French lentils), tender but not falling apart
- 6 cups cooked long grain white or brown rice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- salt
- black pepper
- small handful of flat leaf parsley for serving
- In your largest skillet, over a medium-low flame, heat the oil and 1 teaspoon salt and then add the onions. Stir occasionally until very soft, about 45 minutes. Turn heat to medium high and keep cooking and stirring often until deeply browned and sweet, another 20 minutes or more. Deglaze pan with white wine or vermouth (or water) and stir into the onions to get more flavor. (See note above for another option, if you don’t have enough time).
- When the onions are cooked, fold the rice, lentils, spices, half of the onions, 1 more teaspoon of salt and several grinds of black pepper together in a large bowl. Taste and adjust seasonings.
- On a large serving platter, form a mound of the rice and lentil mixture, top with the remaining caramelized onions and chopped parsley, a grind of pepper and a few grains of sea salt.
