Mujadara — Print Recipe — The Culinary Codex

A humble yet deeply satisfying Jordanian dish of brown lentils and rice topped with a mountain of crispy caramelized onions, served with yogurt and fresh salad.

Ingredients

1 cup brown or green lentils
1 cup basmati rice
4 large onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3 cups water
Salt and pepper to taste
Plain yogurt for serving

Instructions

1 Boil the lentils in water for about 15 minutes until almost tender but still holding their shape, then drain and reserve the cooking water.
2 Meanwhile, fry the thinly sliced onions in olive oil over medium heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until deeply caramelized, dark golden, and crispy.
3 Add the rice to the lentils with cumin, allspice, cinnamon, and salt, add 2 cups of the reserved lentil water, and cook covered on low heat for 18 minutes until the rice is done.
4 Fluff the lentils and rice, mound on a serving plate, and top with the entire batch of crispy caramelized onions, serving with cold yogurt on the side.

Did You Know?

Mujadara is one of the oldest dishes in the Middle East, with recipes dating back to medieval Arab cookbooks from the 13th century, and it is sometimes called the dish of the poor despite being loved by everyone.