Mujadara with Caramelized Onions and Fresh Herbs Recipe
Mujadara is a comforting Middle Eastern dish made with lentils, rice, and caramelized onions. This recipe uses brown lentils and brown rice cooked together with aromatic spices, then topped with sweet, caramelized onions for a flavorful and satisfying vegetarian meal. It’s simple, hearty, and perfect for an everyday lunch or dinner.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 5 small-medium onions, sliced
- 1.5 cups green or brown lentils
- 1 cup brown rice (or white rice, see notes)
- 5 to 5 1/2 cups water, divided
- 1 tbsp vegetable bouillon powder
- 1 1/2 tsp salt, divided
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 2 bay leaves
- Black pepper, to taste
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Prepare rice and lentils: If using brown rice, soak it in water for 20 minutes then drain. This helps it cook evenly. (If using white rice, follow alternate instruction not shown here.)
- Cook rice base: In a large pot, combine soaked brown rice and 2 1/2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then stir in vegetable bouillon powder, 1 tsp salt, black pepper, and bay leaves. Cover and simmer on low heat for 20 minutes.
- Soak lentils: Meanwhile, soak lentils in cold water briefly, then drain to ensure even cooking.
- Slice onions: While rice cooks, slice onions. You can mix yellow and red onions as desired.
- Add lentils to rice pot: After 20 minutes, add drained lentils and 3 cups water to the pot. Stir, cover, and bring to a boil again. Reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes.
- Caramelize onions: Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add sliced onions, stir, reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook for about 10 minutes. Uncover, add cumin and remaining 1/2 tsp salt, and cook uncovered for another 5-10 minutes until onions are nicely caramelized. Increase heat if you want them crispier.
- Check lentils and rice doneness: After 25 minutes, check if lentils and rice are tender. If not, cook a few minutes longer. Turn off heat and let pot sit covered for a few minutes to finish absorbing liquid.
- Assemble and serve: Remove bay leaves. Stir about two-thirds of caramelized onions into the lentil and rice mixture. Reserve the rest for garnish. Serve in bowls topped with dairy-free yogurt, the reserved caramelized onions, and fresh herbs like parsley or cilantro. Enjoy your delicious Mujadara!
Notes
- Soaking brown rice and lentils before cooking improves texture and reduces cooking time.
- To use white rice instead of brown rice, adjust water quantity and soaking time as white rice cooks faster (not detailed here).
- Caramelizing onions slowly over medium heat brings out their natural sweetness, but increasing heat at the end can create crispier onions.
- Dairy-free yogurt is recommended as a topping for a creamy contrast; regular yogurt can be used if preferred.
- This dish is naturally vegetarian and vegan-friendly.
Keywords: Mujadara, lentils and rice, Middle Eastern recipe, caramelized onions, vegan main dish, healthy lentil recipe
