Mujadara is a simple but exquisite Arabic dish of rice and lentils flavored with golden, crisp, caramelized onions. I amp up the deliciousness of my authentic mujadara recipe with the goodness of fresh leeks.
Mujadara: Flavorful lentils and rice with crispy onions
Mujadara is a delicious rice and lentil recipe eaten across the Arabic world (where it also goes by the names of mudardara or megadarra). It is topped with shards of crispy, caramelized onions and is delicious proof that the simplest of recipes can also be the most satisfying.
Most of mujadara's rich, deep flavor comes from the onions, which are smoky, sweet and savory. Despite being meatless, a mujaddara is hearty and satisfying and it's a great dish to serve to an omnivore. My friends love it when I make it for them: it's loaded with flavor and so satisfying. The rice and lentils together create a perfect protein combination, and the leeks add freshness and some veggie power.
This is also a wallet-friendly recipe and in my home it's a fallback option when we are looking for something easy, quick and delicious for dinner. It's perfect for the lunchbox and it is naturally gluten-free, soy-free and nut-free.
Recipe card
Mujadara Recipe
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 ground cumin
- 2 teaspoon ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon cayenne (optional)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1-inch stick of cinnamon
- 1 cup raw 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 any remaining oil from frying the onions) 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.
Nutrition Information
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Recipe FAQs
Traditionally brown lentils are used and this should be your first choice, but you can substitute with green lentils. I've even made mujadara with puy lentils, which are peppery, and it's fantastic.
Sauté the onions over medium or medium low heat until they are golden-brown and crispy. Don't rush by frying over high heat or you will burn the onions.
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.
If you want more vegetables in the mujadara you can add 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.
Serve the mujadara with vegan yogurt or vegan labneh, or with a fresh salad, like this yummy beet salad.
Store the mujadara in the fridge up to five days. Freeze up to three months. Reheat the thawed mujadara on the stove or in the microwave - sprinkle some water over the top, cover with a lid, and let it steam until warmed through.
Kate Tordoff says
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 says
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 says
Yay! So happy to hear.
Sheri says
Thank you for this recipe!! I made it tonight and it is wonderful!!!
Valerie says
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 says
Valerie, so glad you liked it!
Lola says
How tasty does this recipe look! Thanks for the share, love checking out your blog for weekly dinner ideas.
Subhashini says
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 says
Yes, spinach would be perfect!
Remya says
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 says
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 says
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 says
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 says
Wow!! Just made this and it is amazing. Thanks so much from Edinburgh. X
Vaishali Honawar says
Glad you tried the mujadara, Emma, and thanks for letting me know! 🙂
Gayathri Bhandarkar says
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 says
Gayathri, that's lovely-- thanks for letting me know. I am getting hungry now for some mujadara myself. 🙂
Mamta says
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 says
Thanks for letting me know, Mamta. So happy you liked it!
Mamta says
Hi Vaishali, I tried this recipe with brown rice, and this dish is liked by my family, thanks
Stephanie says
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 says
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 says
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 says
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 says
Hi Anu, that's lovely to know! So happy you and your family enjoyed the mujadara. Thanks for the feedback!
Archana@FeedingTheFoodie says
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 says
Made this for dinner tonight just turned off the heat and I'm waiting 😀
Vaishali Honawar says
Wow, hope you enjoy it!
Matthew J.S. says
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 says
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 says
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 says
That dies sound delicious. Never would have thought of soaking garlic in lemon juice.
Chantelle says
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 says
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 says
Thanks, Mel! I hope you try it.
Debbie says
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 says
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 says
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 says
Add the lentils about 10 minutes into cooking the brown rice.
Serena Lewis says
YUM!!
Vaishali Honawar says
Thanks, Serena. 🙂
Athanasia says
Quick question...are the spices as listed in the original recipe or are those your increased amounts?
Vaishali Honawar says
I increased the allspice and the cayenne for more flavor. I strongly recommend it.
Priya Suresh says
Omg, wat a food, gluten free and just irresistible.
Vaishali Honawar says
Thanks, Priya.
Ellen says
Looks wonderful! Will try this! Thanks!
Vaishali Honawar says
Thanks, Ellen, hope you do.
Nupur says
I'm sold! This one I have to try.
Vaishali Honawar says
Hope you do! It's definitely going to be a keeper for me.