Middle Eastern & North African · Lunch · Dinner
Mujaddara
مجدرة (Mujaddara)
Earthy brown lentils and fluffy rice gently spiced with cumin and allspice, topped with sweet, deeply caramelised onions. A humble Levantine classic that makes a satisfying plant-based meal.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Total
- 60 min
- Serves
- 4
Calories come from: Carbs 71% · Fat 15% · Protein 14%
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Ingredients
For 4 servings- 1 cup200 gBrown or green lentils, dry
- 1 cup200 gLong-grain white rice (e.g. basmati)
- 3 large600 gYellow onions
- 2 tbsp27 gOlive oil
- 1 tspGround cumin
- 1/2 tspGround allspice
- 1/4 tspGround cinnamon
- 1/2 tspBlack pepper, ground
- 1 1/2 tsp9 gSalt
- about 4 cups980 gWater
- 1/4 cup10 gFresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped (optional)
Steps
- 1
Rinse the lentils in a sieve and pick out any small stones.
- 2
Rinse the rice in cold water until the water runs mostly clear, then leave it to drain.
- 3
Halve and thinly slice the onions.
- 4
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add the onions with a pinch of the salt.
- 5
Cook the onions for 30–35 minutes, stirring often, until deep golden brown; add a tablespoon or two of the water if they start to stick.
- 6
Meanwhile, put the lentils in a pot with 600 ml (2 1/2 cups) of the water, bring to a boil, then simmer for about 15 minutes until just tender but still holding their shape.
- 7
Add the drained rice, cumin, allspice, cinnamon, pepper, the remaining salt and 350 ml (1 1/2 cups) of the water to the lentils, then stir in half of the caramelised onions.
- 8
Bring back to a boil, cover tightly and cook on the lowest heat for 18 minutes until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender.
- 9
Take the pot off the heat and let it rest, covered, for 10 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
- 10
Spoon onto a platter, top with the remaining onions and scatter with parsley if using.
Swaps, storage and make-ahead
Swaps
- Use brown basmati rice instead of white rice, adding a little more water and extending the covered cooking time until the rice is tender.
- Swap the long-grain rice for coarse bulgur wheat for a traditional variation, noting that this makes the dish no longer gluten-free.
- For a lighter, crispier topping, roast the sliced onions on a lined tray with a small amount of the olive oil instead of frying them slowly in the skillet.
- Replace the allspice and cinnamon with extra cumin and a pinch of ground coriander if you prefer a simpler, more savoury spice blend.
Storage
Cool leftovers quickly, ideally within 1 hour, then refrigerate in a covered container and eat within 1 day, as the dish contains cooked rice. Reheat only once, with a splash of water, until steaming hot throughout. Keep the topping onions in a separate container if you can, as they soften in the fridge.
Make ahead
The caramelised onions can be cooked up to 3 days ahead and kept covered in the fridge, then warmed in a skillet before serving. You can also rinse the lentils and rice and slice the onions earlier in the day.
Nutrition values are for the recipe as written.
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Allergens and nutrition
No major allergens in the ingredients.
Check the labels of packaged ingredients for allergens and suitability for your diet.
Full nutrition
| Per serving (505 g) | Per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 479 kcal | 95 kcal |
| Protein | 17.2 g | 3.4 g |
| Carbohydrates | 85.3 g | 16.9 g |
| of which sugars | 9.8 g | 1.9 g |
| Fiber | 9.1 g | 1.8 g |
| Fat | 7.8 g | 1.5 g |
| of which saturated | 1.1 g | 0.2 g |
| Sodium | 891 mg | 176 mg |
Nutrition is calculated from USDA FoodData Central data and may differ from what you cook.
