Lebanese Lentils & Rice (Mujadara)

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Jasmine

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For our next plant-based recipe; we’re making Mujadara. I believe this version is more of a Lebanese take on the dish but variations exist across other countries in the region like Jordan and Palestine. My partner, who is from Cyprus, even said his yiayia makes something like this! It’s not a surprise given rice and lentils (or other legumes like beans) form a complete protein and all of the ingredients in this dish have a long shelf-life, making it perfect for times when fresh produce and animal products haven’t been readily available. To me; this is a dish for everyone. If you don’t have much food in; this is a nutritious option; this is perfect. If you eat meat and want a levelled-up side-dish for a spread; this is perfect. If you’re plant-based and want a traditional, healthy meal with fibre and plant protein; this is for you. So, let’s get into it…

INGREDIENTS

Brown onions

Shallot (optional)

Green lentils (dried)

Long-grain rice (I used basmati as it’s an accessible option here in the UK)

Cumin (dried)

Plenty of salt, pepper and olive oil

Serving suggestions

Greek yoghurt (or a high-protein Greek-style plant-based yoghurt)

Simple side salad (I made mine with parsley, cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, lemon juice and olive oil)

TIPS & NOTES

Although this is a simple dish, there’s a bit of prep, technique and baby-sitting involved to make the most of these admittedly basic ingredients. Firstly, you need to soak the rice to get a good texture and I strongly recommend soaking the lentils to both reduce cooking time and increase digestibility. The rice needs to be rinsed until the cold water runs clear and soaked for 30-60 mins (I leave it to soak when I start cooking my onions). The lentils should be soaked for between 2 and 10 hours – personally, if I’m making this in the evening, I just set it to soak that morning.

For this recipe, I’ve done both crispy shallots and caramelised onions. You don’t have to do the shallot if you don’t want to, it’s just a bit of extra textural variation. It’s pretty simple though; just cut finely, salt generously and cook in a good amount of oil on a low heat so they brown but don’t burn, before leaving spread flat on a piece of cloth to crisp up and remove excess oil. Caramelising onions isn’t rocket science but does require supervision. Again, you want to slice the onion up finely and salt generously to draw the water out and cook it in a bit of oil on a lower heat. You want to keep things moving so nothing burns and add a splash of water if it looks like it could be starting to.

Mujadara (Lebanese Lentils and Rice)

  • Servings: 4 as a main with sides as shown
  • Difficulty: Medium
  • Print

A naturally-vegan classic

No special equipment needed, the lentils need to soak for at least 2 hours and the rice for 1 hour (see Tips & Note) 




Ingredients

    
 *
2 medium brown onions (finely sliced)
  • 1 shallot (finely sliced)
  • 225g of green or brown dried lentils (rinsed and pre-soaked for min. 2 hours)
  • 225g of long-grain rice (rinsed and pre-soaked for min. 1 hour)
  • 1 tsp of cumin (optional but recommended)
  • Olive oil for cooking
  • Salt and pepper to taste



Directions

    

  1. In a wide frying pan over a low heat, add a generous drizzle of olive oil and the onions, salt generously and cook for approx. 45 mins until golden, stirring regularly – add a splash of water if they look like they may burn

  2. In a separate smaller frying pan over a low heat, add a generous amount of olive oil with the shallot and a generous pinch of salt, stir regularly to avoid burning – allow to brown over 25 mins, once done spread flat over a piece of towel to allow them th crisp up
  3. Next, add cold water to a medium / large saucepan, filling it up to 3/4s – add the soaked lentils, cover and bring to a boil before reducing to a simmer, cook for a total of 20 mins
  4. Drain and rinse the lentils before adding them back to the saucepan with the soaked rice, cumin, a generous 2-3 pinches of salt and 325ml of cold water – stir, cover and bring to a boil before reducing to simmer for a further 15 mins until the water is fully absorbed, at which point you can turn off the heat and allow to steam for a further 10 mins before fluffing with a fork
  5. Serve the rice topped with the caramelised onions and then the crispy shallots, along with sides of your choice

    6. 


Let me know if you try my take on Mujadara!

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