How To: Make Mujadarah

Mujadarah

Mujadarah is a Middle Eastern dish that's healthy, filling, cheap, and most of all, delicious. It requires only rice, lentils, some onions, and a few spices. We like to cook it for cold winter nights.

Ingredients

• Extra virgin olive oil
• 2 small onions, thinly sliced
• 1 & 1/4 cups brown or green lentils, rinsed
• 5 cups water or chicken broth (more as necessary)
• 1 & 1/4 cups long grain rice - jasmine or basmati
• Salt, to taste
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

Equipment

• Dutch oven
• Wooden spoon

Directions

Step 1

In the Dutch oven, heat a few tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.

Step 2

Add the thinly sliced onions. Brown until caramelized.

Step 3

Remove onions from heat and set aside.

Step 4

Add lentils and water to the pot. Bring to a boil.

Step 5

Simmer over low heat until partially cooked, about 15 minutes.

Step 6

Stir in the rice. Add cumin. Add a little salt and pepper.

Step 7

Add more water or broth if the rice isn't covered.

Step 8

Cover the Dutch oven. Cook over low heat until soft.

Step 9

Remove from heat and serve hot.

Step 10

Add caramelized onions on top.

Tips

• We like to make a little salad to go on top of the mujadarah. Dice cucumbers and tomatoes, mince some green onions and mix together with a little salt and olive oil. It provides a refreshing, light counterpoint to the heaviness of the rice and lentils.