Mujaddara is filling, tasty and cheap as chips.
It was staple fare in my student years – along with mushroom barley soup (that stuff lasts forever), ratatouille, and the enticingly-named “lentil shit”.
I’d make a big pot of mujaddara one meal, then reheat portions in a frying pan with a splash of water (no microwaves in those days…)
My mujaddara recipe has evolved over the years, but the elements remain the same – rice and lentils, cooked with spices and topped with fried onions.
Mujaddara
(serves 6)
- 1 1/2 cups green lentils, rinsed
- 4 Tb sunflower oil
- 3 onions, halved and sliced into thin rings
- 1 1/2 cups basmati rice
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp coriander
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Add the lentils, lower to a simmer and cook until just tender (about 15 minutes). Drain and set aside.
- While the lentils are cooking, heat half the oil in a large skillet over a medium flame.
- Fry the onions until crisp and golden. Drain on paper towel and wipe out the skillet.
- Add the remaining oil and heat over a medium-flame. Add the rice, stirring to coat. Stir in the cumin, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon and salt.
- Add the lentils, stirring to combine.
- Pour over 2 1/2 cups of water, stir, then cover with a lid. Turn the heat to low and cook for about twenty minutes.
- Turn the heat off the leave the pan to sit without removing the lid for an another ten minutes to ensure the rice is cooked through.
- Serve topped with the fried onions.
Ten More Bites 
Loved this dish from Ottolenghi’s “Jerusalem” cookbook. Got hooked on the onion component; they were coated in flour and then fried. A bit decadent, but oh so tasty.
A lot of versions of this dish out there. I’ve done the Ottolenghi flour thing as well sometimes, and it does result in a nice crispy onion.
What a great recipe! I bet it’s delicious 😊
It’s nothing fancy, but I find these kind of dishes extremely satisfying…:)
Interesting recipe !