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Don’t be fooled by the simple ingredients in this Mujadarra. This classic dish is absolutely delicious!
I’m always thrilled to discover easy recipes made with ingredients that we always have on hand in our kitchen – and once combined – it tastes absolutely delicious! Such is the case with today’s recipe called Mujadarra.
What is Mujadarra?
Mujadarra is a classic dish made from lentils and brown rice that have been smothered in caramelized, seasoned onions. It’s a staple in Middle-Eastern diets and there are now many new variations of this dish with different lentils, grains and seasonings – but today’s recipe closely follows the more traditional version.
According to Wikipedia, the word mujadarra is the Arabic word for “pockmarked” – with the thought that the name of the dish is inspired by the lentils among the rice resembling pockmarks.
But don’t be fooled by the simple ingredients in this recipe! The flavors are rich and comforting and mujadarra is a wonderful side dish to just about any meal. (It’s also hearty enough to serve as a meatless meal if you’d like!)
Adapted from My Jewish Learning.
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Mujadarra
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups water
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1/2 cup brown lentils, sorted and rinsed
- 1 cup short grain brown rice (we recommend Lundberg brand)
- 2 large Vidalia or white onions, cut in half, then sliced into thin rings (approximately 4 cups)
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
Instructions
- In a medium-sized saucepan with cover, combine water, salt, and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Add the brown rice and lentils to the saucepan and bring back to a boil.
- Once the lentils and rice have reached a boil, reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer for approximately 40-45 minutes or until the brown rice and lentils are tender. Turn off heat and allow to sit covered for 5 minutes.
- While the rice and lentils are cooking, prepare the onions. In a large skillet, heat the remaining ¼ cup of olive oil over medium high heat, tipping the skillet so that the oil evenly coats the bottom of the pan.
- Add the sliced onions, and cook for about 20-30 minutes, stirring frequently until the onions are a deep golden color, and the edges of the onions are well caramelized. Once cooked, remove from the heat and sprinkle the paprika over the onions. Stir to combine.
- Give the rice and lentil mixture a stir, then pour into a serving bowl. Top with caramelized onions and serve. (This dish is delicious served hot off the stove or at room temperature.)
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Lentils with Brown Rice and Feta
Petrena says
Could you use red lentils with this recipe? I have those on hand.
Martha says
Hi Petrena – I don’t see why not. In my experience, red lentils don’t take as long to cook so you’ll need to adjust your cooking time.
Shari says
Could you prepare this dish in an instant pot?
Martha says
Hi Shari – I don’t know…I’ve never tried doing so and unfortunately we’re not at all experts on adapting recipes for the Instant Pot. Sorry I can’t be more help!
Joyce says
If I double the lentils in this dish, how much water should I use?
Martha says
Hi Joyce – I’m guessing a bit with this answer…the bulk of the water is absorbed by the rice and assuming you are using the Lundberg’s short grain rice that we used, that’s approximately 1 cup of rice to about 1 1/2 cups water. So – that leaves 1/2 cup lentils to 1 cup water remaining. If you are doubling just the lentils but leaving the rice amount the same – I’d probably start with maybe an extra 1/2 cup of water and then check midway through the cooking time, adding up to another 1/2 cup as needed. The cooking time may vary with the extra lentils (depending on the size of your saucepan) so I’m just trying to avoid having the rice get mushy with extra water added. Hope that helps – please let us know how it works out!
Annissa says
Oh my goodness!! I’m so happy I stumbled across this recipe on Pinterest, it’s absolutely delicious!!! I was looking for something to do with the rice and lentils we had in our cupboard, what a success!
I cooked the rice in homemade chicken stock and added a bay leaf and some salt, pepper and garlic powder while the rice cooked. Used canned lentils, so threw them in the last 5 mins or so. WOW. Tasty! The onions make this recipe, so if you can, make more than what it calls for (I LOVE carmelized onions!!)
Thank you so much for such a great filling protein packed recipe! I’ll be making this (with water/veg broth) for all holiday dishes as a side for my vegan/veggie friends. ☺️
Martha says
You’re welcome Annissa – agree that the caramelized onions are the best! 🙂
Anastasia Schreyack says
My family really enjoyed this recipe as a main dish. We added fresh squeezed lemon, salt and pepper for garnish and it really added flavor.
Martha says
Sounds delicious – great additions!
Lizzi says
Awesome recipe. Used red onions and added roasted eggplant. Thank you!
Martha says
You’re welcome Lizzi – sounds delicious!
Sarah says
A friend of mine made this recently, and I had to give it a try myself. It was absolutely delicious and so flavorful! Wouldn’t change a thing!!
Martha says
Thanks Sarah! We’re so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
lisa says
Just made this and it seriously is 100% better then I thought it would be. I am hooked. Thanks for sharing.
Martha says
You’re very welcome – so glad you liked the recipe Lisa! (Who knew such simple ingredients would be so delicious?!) 🙂
Laurie says
I made Mujadarra last week (a slightly different recipe) and it was delicious. I cooked the rice in chicken stock and used canned lentils drained and rinsed which I added near the end just to heat, so they retained their texture. I also used 1 tsp of cumin, a pinch of cinnamon, and some hot pepper flakes. I will definitely make it again but I think next time I will also add some raisins which I’m sure is not traditional, but I like sweet and savoury together.
Martha says
Sounds delicious Laurie! I agree – some contrasting flavors go very nicely with the mujadarra (We enjoy serving it with our cucumber salad – the vinegary contrast of the salad contrasts well with the lentils and rice!)
Carla says
Hehe I was just looking at this recipe and thinking I have some cucumbers to make salad alongside… Can’t wait for dinner tonight 😊
Martha says
We hope you had a great dinner Carla! 🙂
Evonne P. says
This is recipe is so good, and you only need a few ingredients.
Martha says
Thank you! 🙂