Mujadara, a simple but exquisite dish of rice and lentils flavored with golden, crisp, caramelized onions, is a classic of Arabic cuisine. My even healthier but authentic mujadara is also infused with the fresh and delicious goodness of leeks.
Table of Contents
What is mujadara?
Mujaddara (also called mudardara or megadarra), is a delicious rice and lentil recipe eaten widely across the Arabic world. This one-pot medley of onions, rice and lentils is delicious proof that the simplest of recipes can also be the most satisfying.
The bulk of the flavor in mujadara comes from onions fried to a rich, deep, smoky, savory sweetness. When those crispy onions mingle with the tender rice and lentils, they create such magic, your tastebuds will do the tango.
Albeit meatless, a mujaddara is hearty and satisfying and it's a great dish to serve to an omnivore.
Why you will love this recipe
- Delicious, one-dish meal. My mujadara recipe has everything you want in a complete meal: proteins from the rice and lentil combination, and veggies, including the onions and leeks.
- Simple and affordable recipe. The three main ingredients in this recipe -- rice, lentils and onions -- are all easy on the wallet.
- Healthy. This mujadara is loaded with protein, fiber, and tons of nutrients.
- Soy-free, nut-free, gluten-free and vegan
Ingredients
- Rice. Use any long-grain white rice, including jasmine rice or basmati.
- Whole brown lentils. These are nutty and delicious and add tons of hearty flavor.
- Onions. You will need two large onions for this recipe. I used red onions but yellow onions are fine too.
- Garlic
- Leeks. Although not a traditional ingredient, the leeks add amazing flavor and make this mujaddara even more nutritious.
- Spices: Ground cumin, ground allspice, bay leaves, cayenne (optional) and cinnamon.
- Extra virgin olive oil
How to make mujadara
Wash the lentils and place them in a saucepan. Cover with an inch of water. Bring to a boil, cover, lower heat to simmer, and let the lentils cook for 8 minutes. Once the lentils are semi-tender, turn off the heat. Drain the lentils before adding them to the pot.
In a large saucepan or saute pan, add olive oil along with the thinly sliced onions, a pinch of salt and ground black pepper to taste.
Saute the onions over medium heat, stirring them frequently, until they are golden brown and crispy at the edges. Remove the onions with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towels. Set aside.
To the same saucepan and the remaining oil, add the thinly sliced leeks. Add a pinch of salt and saute until the leeks caramelize and turn brown.
Add the garlic to the saucepan and saute for 30 seconds.
Stir in the spices--ground allspice, ground cumin, bay leaves and cinnamon stick. Mix.
Add the rice to the saucepan and saute for a couple of minutes until the rice turns slightly opaque.
Stir in the cooked, drained lentils.
Add four cups water or vegetable stock to the pan. Bring to a boil, stir once, then turn heat down to low. Cover and cook 25 minutes. Let the mujadara stand 10 minutes after cooking before you remove the lid. Fluff with a fork before serving.
Variations
- To make this recipe with brown rice, cook the rice separately in a large pot of boiling water with the spices added, until the rice is about 70 percent done. Strain out all the water before using.
- To add more healthfulness to this recipe, I sometimes cook the mujaddara with spinach or other quick-cooking greens. To do this, open the pot after the rice and lentils have been cooking for 15 minutes. Spread four cups of leafy greens (chopped if using larger greens) on top of the mujaddara. Cover and continue cooking for 10 more minutes.
What to serve with mujaddara
There are healthy greens and lentils and rice in the recipe, so it is truly a complete meal. But you can also serve the mujaddara with vegan yogurt or vegan labneh.
You can also serve the mujadara with a fresh, green salad or this yummy beet salad.
More vegan rice recipes
Love this Vegan Mujadara? Check out more vegan rice recipes at Holy Cow Vegan!
Mujadara
Ingredients
- 1½ cups brown lentils
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 large red onions (or yellow onions, finely sliced)
- 2 leeks (cleaned thoroughly of all grit. Trim the roots and slice the white and green parts into thin ribbons.)
- 5 cloves garlic (minced or finely crushed)
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 2 teaspoon allspice powder
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1-inch stick of cinnamon
- 1 cup basmati rice (or other long-grain rice, raw)
- 4 cups vegetable stock (or water)
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Wash the lentils and place them in a saucepan. Cover with an inch of water. Bring to a boil, cover, lower heat to simmer, and let the lentils cook for 8 minutes. Once the lentils are semi-tender, turn off the heat. Drain the lentils before adding them to the pot.
- In a large saucepan or sauté pan, add olive oil along with the thinly sliced onions, a pinch of salt and ground black pepper to taste.
- Saute the onions over medium heat, stirring them frequently, until they are golden brown and crispy at the edges. Remove the onions with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towels. Set aside.
- To the same saucepan with the remaining oil, add the thinly sliced leeks. Add a pinch of salt and sauté until the leeks caramelize and turn brown.
- Add the garlic to the saucepan and sauté for 30 seconds.
- Stir in the spices--ground allspice, ground cumin, bay leaves and cinnamon stick. Mix.
- Add the rice to the saucepan and saute for a couple of minutes until the rice turns slightly opaque.
- Stir in the cooked, drained lentils. Add four cups water or vegetable stock to the pan. Bring to a boil, stir once, then turn heat down to low. Cover and cook 25 minutes. Let the mujadara stand 10 minutes after cooking before you remove the lid. Stir in the caramelized onions. Fluff the rice and lentils with a fork before serving.
Recipe notes
- To make this recipe with brown rice, cook the rice separately in a large pot of boiling water with the spices added, until the rice is about 70 percent done. Strain out all the water before using.
- To add more healthfulness to this recipe, I sometimes cook the mujaddara with spinach or other quick-cooking greens. To do this, open the pot after the rice and lentils have been cooking for 15 minutes. Spread four cups of leafy greens (chopped if using larger greens) on top of the mujaddara. Cover and continue cooking for 10 more minutes.
- Refrigerate: You can refrigerate the mujadara for up to three days.
- Freeze: Freeze the mujadara in an airtight, freezer-safe container for up to three months.
- Reheat: Thaw and reheat individual portions in the microwave, or reheat all of the mujadara in an oven-safe pan in a 350-degree Fahrenheit/180-degree Celsius oven.
PVR
Tried this today and it came out perfect. Awesome taste and flavors. Definitely making it again and again.
Anonymous
hello Vaishali,
Just tried this today; simply awesome. The flavors are so subtle but so flavorful. We host Thanksgiving every year; will be making it to feed our guests this year.
Thanks for your time and efforts in sharing the recipes with us; your extended family.
In gratitude,
God bless you,
Meena.
Ellie
I just made this now and it's brilliant!
Wilma
I look forward to making this recipe - filled with LOVE.
You are a blessing.
XO Wilma
Karen
I cannot wait to eat this because tasting it was delightful! I followed the recipe as written. Only confused by how much olive oil to add for the leeks (it says add the rest) but there was not an amount for the onilns). If you cook, it's not a big deal, I just used the 1/4 cup and divided it up. Otherwise A+ and thank you.
LisaH
Welcome back, Vaishali. Such a perfect recipe for your return, as Mujadara is one of my favorite comfort foods. I love that you added the leeks. I used brown basmati rice, which gives the dish a nice texture but still retains those beautiful long grains of rice. I’ll be thinking of you whenever I make this dish with every stir and wonderful smell you have brought into our home.
Tole
Great to have you back <3
Would this recipe also work with Tinned lentils if I just skipped the first boiling step, or would you add them later with the greens?
Vaishali
Thanks. And add the lentils later, with the greens.
Jo Peel
Super tasty and healthy. Your recipes absolutely rock Vaishali. My husband is an awesome cook and with your tried, tested and perfectly explained recipes means my meals are a hit too!
Vaishali
Thanks for your kind words, Jo, and so happy you loved the mujadara! ❤️
Renee
So glad I bought those leeks and went looking for a way to use them today! This was definitely a comfort food on this cold, hungry day. My husband loves leeks all by themselves so I was thankful for a recipe that had some of them saved for the end, where the flavor is so very good. We ate them all today but have leftovers of the lentils and quinoa (I subbed it in for the rice) so next time we have this, all I'll have to do is fry another batch of leeks. Besides this being tasty and filling, I loved the way it comes together. With a few stages of uninvolved cooking time, It didn't matter so much that I was prepping along the way.
After dinner, I checked out your blog intro and will be visiting again to make a few other recipes I saw on the site. You have some interesting ideas.
Anonymous
so tasty with the cinnamon and all spice! I used green lentils, added golden beets, and used the beet tops for my greens. delicious, satisfying, and the whole house smells good!
Anonymous
Made this with green lentils. Delicious! Had me farting for days after!
Vaishali
😀
Kate Tordoff
Just made this, but, instead of the reserved leeks on top, I used fewer leeks and topped with the fried green tops of the leeks. Yum.
Great recipe.
Thanks x
Tom
Made this this evening and it was absolutely delicious! Didn't have brown lentils to hand but green lentils seemed to work fine. I see it becoming a staple dish here. Thank you.
Vaishali
Yay! So happy to hear.
Sheri
Thank you for this recipe!! I made it tonight and it is wonderful!!!
Valerie
This was delicious! I added tomato on top as the picture showed, as well as some chopped cashews. This was my first experience with leeks and I was very happy with the results. Thank you for working so hard on this website, I am looking forward to trying more of your recipes!
Valerie
Vaishali
Valerie, so glad you liked it!
Lola
How tasty does this recipe look! Thanks for the share, love checking out your blog for weekly dinner ideas.
Subhashini
I love such one pot meals and this is different and inviting. I am saving this to my try list. Can we even use spinach or methi as for greens?
Vaishali
Yes, spinach would be perfect!
Remya
This looks great and i want to try making it.
But I dont have whole masoor dal.. Would split masoor dal work? Or can you suggest some other which might?
Thanks in advance!
Vaishali Honawar
Hi Remya, split masoor will get mushy and won't have the same texture. You can try with another small whole bean like moth or matki, if available.
Lindsay
This was so easy and delicious. I used puy lentils and they worked just fine. Great tip about leaving half the leek for the top, nice to reserve some of that fresh 'leeky' flavour for the end. Thankyou.
Barbara
my leeks were going to flower, so I hurriedly tried this...WOW! Even my very picky relatives (and grandchildren) loved it! I've shared it numerous times now... Thank you for this easy and exquisite recipe!
Emma
Wow!! Just made this and it is amazing. Thanks so much from Edinburgh. X
Vaishali Honawar
Glad you tried the mujadara, Emma, and thanks for letting me know! 🙂
Gayathri Bhandarkar
I made this last night - it was delicious! I am looking forward to my packed lunch today. To go with it - I made your silken tofu based Raita! YUM!
Vaishali
Gayathri, that's lovely-- thanks for letting me know. I am getting hungry now for some mujadara myself. 🙂
Mamta
Hi Vaishali I tried this recipe with brown rice, I first time used kale, and leeks, and it came out really well, very different and healthy recipe, thanks
Vaishali
Thanks for letting me know, Mamta. So happy you liked it!
Mamta
Hi Vaishali, I tried this recipe with brown rice, and this dish is liked by my family, thanks
Stephanie
I am very excited to try this, but we got rid of our microwave and now just have a toaster oven and a stove. I'm not sure what the texture of the lentils should be, or how much they should be cooked after they come out of the microwave. Would you be able to give me some pointers on how to proceed without a microwave? Thanks!
Vaishali
Hi Stephanie, cover the lentils with boiling water and let them sit 10 minutes, then drain. That should give you the right texture. Cheers.
celia
Vaishali, that looks absolutely FABULOUS! I've only just made a very basic version of this dish for the first time, and loved it. Your take on it is a huge step up, thank you, I know I'm going to love this. (And thanks Nanette for the headsup!) 🙂
Anu
I have made mujaddara in the past but I had leeks sitting in the fridge and greens while I came across this recipe. I made your recipe tonight and my 5-year old son and husband asked for seconds and thirds. Then, they asked me when I would make it again. Definitely a keeper for us. Thanks
And I rarely comment, so....
Vaishali Honawar
Hi Anu, that's lovely to know! So happy you and your family enjoyed the mujadara. Thanks for the feedback!
Archana@FeedingTheFoodie
I love mujadara and almost always made it as a one pot meal. I've caramalized onions seperately to toss - which makes it a slightly lengthy dish. Nice addition of greens and leeks here. It certainly makes it a complete meal now!
Selah N O
Made this for dinner tonight just turned off the heat and I'm waiting 😀
Vaishali Honawar
Wow, hope you enjoy it!
Matthew J.S.
I just want to thank you thoroughly for your blog—not only does this recipe look delicious, but I made the Tofu Makhani two weeks in a row, once for my friend and his family, and it is one of the greatest vegan hits I've come across to date! Makhani was one of my favorite North Indian dishes before turning to a plant-based diet, and my, oh my, have you captured the essence of it with your recipe.
Best wishes, Vaishali :).
Vaishali Honawar
Matthew, thank you for your very kind words. I am thrilled you liked the makhani--it was always my favorite too because of that haunting texture. I appreciate the feedback very much!
Anonymous
I just came across this post from another link, and had just had a near-mujadara experience with roasted cauliflower (purple & green with black mustard seeds & cumin seeds), brown rice, and a lime/garlic/yogurt sauce (soak the minced garlic in lemon or lime juice while everything's being prepared, then mix in the yogurt). I wished I'd had lentils, and will next time! This is another great variation.
Vaishali Honawar
That dies sound delicious. Never would have thought of soaking garlic in lemon juice.
Chantelle
How much cinnamon do you use if you don't have cinnamon sticks and do you rinse your rice first before adding it to the pot?
Mel
This is the most gorgeous bowl of mujadara I've ever seen and it sounds lovely with leeks and greens - I'm adding it to my bookmarks. Also thanks for the quick lentil cooking tip in the microwave, I'm definitely going to give that a try.
Vaishali Honawar
Thanks, Mel! I hope you try it.
Debbie
Oh, yum! I can't wait to try. I was all excited and then I realized I use brown rice in my cooking. So, how would that work? Maybe cook it for like 1 - 1 1/2 hours and then add it? I would welcome any suggestions.
Vaishali Honawar
Hi Debbie, Brown rice would definitely work here-- soak it for about 30 minutes, increase the water to 5 cups and cook for 45 minutes instead of 20. Also you don't need to microwave the lentils first because they will cook longer in the pot. Cheers.
ChannonD
This was my first question too. I still have one more.... we prefer our lentils just barely done and still firm. Given that, and skipping the microwave step, I would like to add them later. How much later would you think? Oh, one more factor that may affect your answer - my husband only really likes green lentils as they best hold their shape. Thanks so much!
Vaishali Honawar
Add the lentils about 10 minutes into cooking the brown rice.
Serena Lewis
YUM!!
Vaishali Honawar
Thanks, Serena. 🙂
Athanasia
Quick question...are the spices as listed in the original recipe or are those your increased amounts?
Vaishali Honawar
I increased the allspice and the cayenne for more flavor. I strongly recommend it.
Priya Suresh
Omg, wat a food, gluten free and just irresistible.
Vaishali Honawar
Thanks, Priya.
Ellen
Looks wonderful! Will try this! Thanks!
Vaishali Honawar
Thanks, Ellen, hope you do.
Nupur
I'm sold! This one I have to try.
Vaishali Honawar
Hope you do! It's definitely going to be a keeper for me.