Mjadara—a lentil based dish that’s made up of brown lentils, rice, and carmelized onions—was a staple growing up. It was that one dish that made its way to the dinner table on busy weeknights, and always came along for an outing at the park or the beach. Now that I have my own household, I get it. It checks all the boxes: simple (and affordable!), delicious, and nutrient dense—what more does one need?
This dish is always served with a side of plain yogurt and arabic salad. Add hot peppers and pickled vegetables to the mix and it gets a chef’s kiss.
Mujadara (Lentils & Rice)
Ingredients
- 4 yellow onions
- ⅓ cup avocado oil
- ⅓ cup olive oil extra virgin
- 1 ½ cups brown lentils
- 1 cup rice long grain, jasmine or basmati
- 1 tbsp kosher salt diamond crystal
- 1 ½ tsp cumin
- ¾ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 4 cups vegetable broth low sodium
- 1 cup water
Instructions
Caramelize Onions
- Thinly slice onions
- Heat both oils in a pot or a large skillet over medium high heat
- Add the onions and reduce the heat to medium low
- Cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are tender and golden
Mujadara
- In a bowl, soak rice in warm water for 10 minutes
- Place lentils, vegetable broth, and spices in a pot and bring to a boil; continue boiling for 15 minutes
- Drain the soaked rice and rinse
- Add rice, water and half of the caramelized onions to the lentils and combine
- Cover the pot with a lid and cook on low heat for another 15 minutes
- Remove from heat and let it rest for a few more minutes before removing the lid and fluffing the Mujadara with a fork
- Top with the remaining caramelized onions and serve warm with plain yogurt and/or Arabic salad
