Mujadara
Lentils and rice crowned with deeply caramelised onions.
Ingredients
- 200 g Puy lentils
- 200 g Basmati rice
- 3 Onion
- 1 tsp Ground cumin
- ½ tsp Allspice
- 5 tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp Salt
Method
- Rinse the green lentils, place in a pot with plenty of water, and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Reduce the heat and simmer the lentils, uncovered, until almost tender but still holding their shape.
- Meanwhile, thinly slice the onions.
- Heat the olive oil in a wide pan over medium-low heat and caramelise the sliced onions, stirring often, until deep brown and sweet.
- Stir the rinsed basmati rice, cumin, allspice, salt, and about half the caramelised onions into the lentil pot, topping up with water so the liquid sits just above the rice.
- Cover and cook on low until the rice is fluffy and the liquid is absorbed, then rest off the heat, still covered, for a few minutes.
- Fluff with a fork, pile onto a platter, and crown with the remaining caramelised onions.
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About Mujadara
Mujadara is a humble, ancient dish of lentils and rice from the Middle East, dressed up entirely by a crown of deeply caramelised onions. Versions of it appear in medieval Arab cookbooks, and it has long been the cooking of frugal, plant-based nourishment across the Levant, prized precisely because a handful of pantry staples yields something so satisfying. The lentils, here Puy or green, are simmered until almost tender but still holding shape, then finished with basmati rice, cumin, and allspice in the same pot. What transforms it is the onions: slowly cooked over gentle heat until they turn deep brown and sweet, with some folded into the pot for depth and the rest piled on top.
The reward for that patient caramelisation is enormous flavour from very little, the onions bringing a jammy sweetness and near-smoky richness that lifts the earthy lentils and fragrant, spiced rice. Texturally it plays soft rice and yielding lentils against the crisp, tangled onions on top, and warm cumin and allspice tie it together. It's traditionally eaten warm or at room temperature, often with a spoon of cool yogurt and a sharp salad to cut the richness, and it makes excellent leftovers. Vegan, high in fibre, and built from cheap staples, mujadara is proof that the onions, not the wallet, do the real work.
Mujadara: frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Mujadara?
A serving has about 550 calories — 17g protein, 80.4g carbs, 18.5g fat, 7.7g fiber. Figures are estimated from the ingredient amounts and will shift with your portions and brands.
Is Mujadara gluten-free?
Based on its ingredients, Mujadara has no gluten-containing components, so it's naturally gluten-free — as always, check that any packaged ingredients you use are certified gluten-free to be safe.
How long does Mujadara take to make?
About 50 minutes start to finish, but only around 33 of those are hands-on — the rest is largely unattended cooking time you can step away from. In the Homecooked app the timers and parallel steps are sequenced for you so the hands-on part feels even shorter.
How many servings does Mujadara make?
This recipe makes 4 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.