Rice · Recipe · Lebanon · Reference page

Mujaddara (rice and lentils)

Name: Mujaddara (rice and lentils)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 2 piece large onions, finely chopped; 250 ml olive oil; 300 g brown lentils, rinsed well in several changes of water; 1 l water (up to 1.25 litres); 1 tsp salt; 100 g long-grain rice

مجدرة

Brown lentils and rice simmered with onions fried dark in olive oil: a Lebanese everyday dish. This plain version by Josephine Moussa for SBS Food serves four.

Editorial illustration of the documented recipe; not a photograph of a kitchen-tested result.

Servings: 4
Preparation: 10 min
Cooking: 25 min
Total: 35 min
Difficulty: Easy

Equipment

Heavy saucepan with a lid

Servings4

Ingredients

Shopping list

Method

Fry the onions in the olive oil, stirring often, until deep brown.
Why The dark onions give the dish its flavour and colour; pale onions make it bland. Keep the heat moderate so they brown without burning.
Drain the lentils and add them to the onions. Pour in 1 litre of water and simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes. Season with salt.
Timer · 10 min10:00
Add the rice and cook on low heat for about 10 minutes more, until rice and lentils are tender. Add a little more of the water if it dries out.
Timer · 10 min10:00

To drink & serve with

Plain yoghurt or a crisp salad of cucumber and tomato (our suggestion; the source gives none).

Substitutions

Brown lentils → Green lentils, which need slightly longer.

Common mistakes

Adding the rice with the lentils: the rice turns to mush before the lentils are soft.

Storage & reheating

Keeps 3 days in the fridge. It is often eaten at room temperature.

Safety

Cool leftovers within an hour; cooked rice and legumes spoil quickly when left warm.

Allergens

None

Check labels: stock, bacon and sauces can contain further allergens.

Dietary

vegan · vegetarian · gluten-free

One dish, many versions

Josephine Moussa's recipe for SBS Food is labelled Lebanese and called uncomplicated; the headnote notes that the dish exists in many versions across the Middle East. Hers uses only onions, olive oil, brown lentils, water, salt and long-grain rice. Some versions use more rice than lentils or add spices; this one is mostly lentils.

[1]

Onions first

Two large onions are fried in a full cup of olive oil until deep brown, and everything else cooks in that oil. The lentils simmer 10 minutes in 4 cups of water before the rice goes in for 10 minutes more, so both finish together. The source lists 4 to 5 cups of water but uses 4 in the method: keep the extra cup at hand.

[1]

How it connects

Place

origin Lebanon In preparation

Recipe

Story

related Legumes: lentils, beans and the plants that feed the soil