Mujadara with Caramelized Onions and Fresh Herbs Recipe
Mujadara is a rustic, comforting Middle Eastern dish featuring a fragrant blend of brown rice, lentils, and caramelized onions, seasoned with cumin and aromatic bay leaves. This easy one-pot meal is both hearty and nutritious, perfect for a wholesome vegetarian dinner.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
For the Rice and Lentils
- 1 cup brown rice (soaked for 20 minutes, then drained)
- 1.5 cups green or brown lentils (soaked and drained)
- 5–5 1/2 cups water (divided)
- 1 tbsp vegetable bouillon powder
- 1 1/2 tsp salt (divided)
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 2 bay leaves
- Black pepper to taste
For the Onions
- 5 small-medium onions (2 yellow and 3 red, thinly sliced)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
For Serving
- Dairy-free yogurt (optional)
- Fresh herbs such as parsley or cilantro (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the rice: Soak the brown rice for 20 minutes and then drain. In a large pot, combine the soaked rice with 2 1/2 cups of water, vegetable bouillon powder, 1 tsp salt, black pepper, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer gently for 20 minutes.
- Soak the lentils: While the rice cooks, place lentils in a bowl with cold water to soak for even and quicker cooking. After soaking, drain the lentils.
- Slice the onions: Thinly slice 5 small to medium onions, mixing yellow and red onions as preferred.
- Add the lentils: After 20 minutes of rice cooking, add the drained lentils and an additional 3 cups of water to the pot. Stir, cover, and bring to a boil again. Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes.
- Caramelize the onions: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced onions and stir. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook for about 10 minutes. Remove the lid, stir well, add ground cumin and remaining 1/2 tsp salt, and cook uncovered for another 5-10 minutes until the onions are deeply caramelized and slightly crispy, increasing heat towards the end if desired.
- Check doneness: After lentils have simmered 25 minutes, check that rice and lentils are tender. If needed, simmer a few more minutes. Remove from heat and keep covered for a few minutes to rest.
- Combine and serve: Remove the bay leaves from the pot. Stir in about two-thirds of the caramelized onions into the rice and lentils. Reserve the remaining onions for garnish. Serve portions topped with more caramelized onions, dairy-free yogurt, and fresh herbs like parsley or cilantro for a flavorful finish.
Notes
- Soaking the brown rice and lentils helps them cook more evenly and reduces cooking time.
- If using white rice instead of brown, rinse thoroughly and adjust cooking times accordingly (approx. 15-20 minutes with lentils).
- Use vegetable bouillon powder to enhance the flavor, or substitute with vegetable broth if preferred.
- Caramelized onions can be made ahead and stored for up to 3 days refrigerated.
- This dish is naturally vegetarian and can be made vegan by serving with dairy-free yogurt.
Keywords: Mujadara, lentils and rice, caramelized onions, Middle Eastern recipe, vegetarian lentil recipe, easy healthy dinner
