Mujadara Three ways

Mujadara is a lentil based dish, combined either with rice or bulgur wheat, that is healthy, cheap and can feed a family with store cupboard ingredients. Being the lentil experts that we are, we have three Lebanese mujadara dishes for you at Zaatar and Zaytoun, classic mujadara (with rice and caramelised onions), mujadara hamra (reddened lentils) and mujadara makhbousa (messy lentils).

1. Classic Lebanese Mujadara (with rice and caramelised onions)

This is the classic mujadara recipe and pretty easy to make. The lentil to water ratio is 1:5 and the spices are your basic Lebanese 7 spice which can be found here. Make sure you make lots of caramelised onions as they always go fast. Serving suggestions include cabbage or spinach salad.

4.41 from 5 votes

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Lebanese Mujadara

Lentil rice with caramelised onions

Course Main Course

Cuisine Lebanese

Keyword Easy, Healthy, vegan

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

• 3 large onions sliced into strips
• ½ cup regular olive oil
• 1 cup lentils
• 1 cup rice
• 5 cups water
• ¼ teaspoon cumin
• ¼ teaspoon 7 spice
• Approx 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. In a wide non stick pan, add the sliced onions and the olive oil. Turn the heat high for the first 2-3 minutes then reduce to the lowest setting and caramalise for 35-40 minutes, sautéing every few minutes so as not to burn on one side.
2. Wash the lentils and add to a pot along with the 5 cups of water
3. Bring the lentils to the boil then reduce to medium heat while they cook

4. After 20 minutes of the lentils cooking, check one and if it is nearly done, add the washed cup of rice

5. Add the salt and spices, a quarter of the onions as well as any excess oil from the onions which should be nearly done by now.
6. Cover the rice with a lid and cook for another 20 minutes on low. Taste and adjust the salt as necessary.
7. Serve with salad or yoghurt.

2. Mujadara Makhbousa (messy lentils)

This mujadara recipe, though takes a little longer than the classic one above, is actually easier to make. All you have to do is cook the lentils then add the rice and put it on low heat until you have a lose risotto like consistency. This dish is warming and comforting, perfect for cold days and like all mujadara can be eaten hot or cold.

5 from 2 votes

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Mujadara Makhbousa (Messy Lentils)

Lebanese 'messy' lentils cooked with rice

Course Main Course

Cuisine Lebanese

Keyword vegan

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

• 1 cup brown lentils
• ¼ cup short grain rice
• 1 large onion
• 1 teaspoon Salt (approx)
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

1. Put the lentils in a pot with 5 cups of cold water and bring to the boil

2. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until done (approx 20 mins)

3. Add the rice and keep cooking on a low heat (approx half an hour) until the rice and lentils thicken to form a loose risotto texture

4. Add salt and pepper to lentils, taste and adjust

5. In a separate pan, caramalise the onion in some regular olive oil on low heat, then add to the lentil rice mix

6. Combine everything well and serve with salad and flatbreads

3. Mujadara hamra (reddened mujadara)

The final mujadara recipe is for advanced cooks who are not afraid to manipulate onions to the extreme. You have to dare yourself to brown onions on medium high heat just until before they burn which can be hard to judge if you take your eyes off them for too long. Despite being a little trickier to make on your first go, you will soon know when the onions are done and then it's a straight forward recipe where you just add the lentils and bulgur wheat. Of all the mujadara dishes this is by far my favourite and everyone gets excited when they discover some one has made mujadara hamra for lunch. Give it a go, your life will be more savoury and delicious for it, I promise.

4.8 from 5 votes

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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