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    Home » Recipes » Mujadara Hamra

    Mujadara Hamra

    If you don't like onions click away now 😱 everyone else jump for joy. Mujadara Hamra, which roughly translates as 'reddened lentils', is my most favourite lentil dish and is based on cooking lentils in lots and lots and lots of onions until they are so dark, one step before being burnt.

    What is mujadara?

    Mujadara is a lentil based dish combined either with rice or bulgur wheat. We at Zaatar and Zaytoun are mujadara fanatics and have three recipes for you.

    mujadara hamra

    I've summarised the differences in my 'mujadara three ways' post but i'll quickly go over it again.

    Classic Lebanese mujadara with rice and caramelised onions is possibly the most common type of mujadara that you might see in Middle Eastern restaurants.

    It's a scrumptious dish that goes well with fattoush or Lebanese cabbage salad.

    You also have mujadara makhbousa which I describe as 'messy lentils' and this is the easiest one to make though it slow cooks for about an hour.

    The texture is similar to risotto and it also has rice though less than your classic mujadara.

    Mujadara hamra is made by combining lentils with coarse bulgur wheat. It is probably the more advanced type of mujadara that more experienced cooks usually make.

    That said, you only become experienced when you perfect one dish at a time and this is certainly one dish worth trying to get right.

    For mujadara hamra, you have to really know how to manipulate the base of onions so let's break it down:

    The onions

    brown those onions

    When I first started making it I had to dare myself to keep frying the onions one step further because my brain was going surely this isn't right.

    You need to have patience to pull this dish off, you can't fry the onions at too high a heat or the onions will burn right away and you can't have the heat too low or they will caramelise and the overall flavour will be too sweet.

    You need to fry the onions at a medium heat for as long as it takes and keep turning them so they don't catch on one side.

    You are going for a wonderfully savoury umami flavour although if you find the onion intensity is too much you can cook it for ten minutes less which will give it a lighter colour. 

    lentils and onions

    The lentils

    Make sure you use brown lentils not the green or red ones which won't give the same results.

    After you simmer down the onions with some water you need to add the lentils and cook them for around half an hour until they are mostly cooked.

    how to make mujadara

    The bulgur wheat

    Traditionally, coarse bulgur wheat is added to the lentils 15 minutes before you turn off the heat, although my mum (forever the culinary rebel) sometimes uses Turkish bulgur wheat which is even chunkier and gives it a nice texture.

    If you use fine bulgur wheat the overall texture will be too fine and it will clump together.

    Serving suggestions

    You can eat it hot or cold with side plate of salad or cucumber and yoghurt and it also makes perfect picnic food or pack lunch.

    I've yet to meet a Lebanese person who doesn't love this dish. If you go to your aunty's house and she's made mujadara hamra, everyone gets happy, i'm not even exaggerating.

    This dish is a testament to the ingenuity of our maternal ancestors who could manipulate the most basic ingredients (onions, lentils, bulgur wheat) into something exceptional.

    Though my recipe is enough to feed a family of six, it will keep for at least three days, though of course in my house it is gone the next day and we mourn a little until the next time 😌

    lebanese mujadara hamra
    4.8 from 5 votes
    Print

    Mujadara Hamra

    Reddened Lentils with bulgur wheat

    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Lebanese
    Keyword vegan
    Prep Time 10 minutes
    Cook Time 50 minutes
    Total Time 1 hour
    Servings 6

    Ingredients

    • 4 large onions
    • ½ cup regular olive oil
    • 1 cups brown lentils
    • 1 cup coarse bulgur wheat
    • 2 teaspoon salt approx
    • Boiled water
    • 3 ½ cups cold water
    • Extra virgin olive oil

    Instructions

    1. Chop the onions and add them to a pan with the olive oil, sprinkle with a little salt
    2. Sauté on medium heat for at least 20 minutes until they turn dark brown (but not burnt!) The more you brown them the more savoury the flavour
    3. Stand back and slowly add enough boiled water to just cover the onions (it will splutter!) and squish them down with the back of a wooden spoon
    4. Add the salt and bring to the boil, cover and simmer on low heat for ten minutes

    5. Add the lentils and the cold water, bring to the boil then reduce the heat to low and leave to cook for around another half hour until the lentils are cooked

    6. Add the bulgur wheat and simmer for another 15 minutes.
    7. When the bulgur wheat has soaked up most of the liquid, taste and adjust the salt as necessary, turn off the heat and add a dash of olive oil

    8. Serve with a side salad or a helping of plain yoghurt

    If you enjoyed making this recipe, leave us a star rating below.

    We have a lively Facebook group where we post frequent recipes and discuss Lebanese cooking in general, as well as a handy tiktok page where you can save all of your favourite Zaatar and Zaytoun recipes!

    You might also like these other recipe from the Zaatar and Zaytoun collection:

    • Cheat's Kibbeh (Kibbe Kazabieh)
    • Lebanese chicken and rice (Rez a djaj)
    • Sayadieh (Fish and rice)
    • Hareesa (Chicken & Wheat Porridge)
    « Kamounet Banadoura (Tomato Kibbeh)
    Freekeh with Chicken and Nuts »

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Marie

      January 01, 2020 at 6:39 am

      5 stars
      I tried making this, it’s delicious! Perfect for a light lunch.

    2. alia

      January 10, 2020 at 1:10 pm

      4 stars
      really yummy

    3. Zoe

      March 21, 2021 at 6:15 pm

      Bravo!!! Excellent recipe. Made it twice and it comes out as i expected. My mom used to make it when i was young. But i never had a recipe for it. Now i do! Thank you.

    4. Nawal

      August 19, 2021 at 7:00 pm

      5 stars
      I like it very hamra!

    5. Ginger

      January 18, 2022 at 1:32 pm

      5 stars
      This is excellent! Thank you so much for your detailed recipe. I cannot wait to make it again. This will be in our regular rotation. Served it with tabbouli. Delicious!!!

    6. Anonymous

      October 13, 2022 at 9:09 pm

      5 stars
      Excellent, simple to follow recipe.

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    Ahlen I'm Yosra, a Lebanon born - London based foodie. Welcome to my kitchen.

    Here you'll find recipes collected from my Lebanese Mama (pictured), some regional classics and some secret family recipes.

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