Mujadara

Mujadara (pronounced moo-ZHUD-duh-duh) is a lentil-rice pilaf that originated in the Middle East and is made today as it has been since ancient times. The broad popularity of mujadara is no surprise, given that this fabulous dish delivers on every level: deeply savory flavor that is healthy, satisfying, and economical.

Whenever my mother did not have a plan for dinner for her family of seven, she opened the pantry to find her ever-ready lentils, rice, and onion to make mujadara. These simple basics are transformed by the deep caramelization of the onion, the proper cooking of lentils and rice, and flavorful earthy spices. With a quick salad, labneh, olives and pita bread, Mom put a mujadara dinner on the table in less than an hour.

Simple, Affordable Ingredients; Big Flavors

Many cultures have their essential recipes like mujadara, focusing on beans and rice, and with such good reason. These ingredients pair to offer a satisfying meal that easily feeds a happy crowd without breaking the bank. While mujadara may have its origins as a sensible peasant food, that history is also about how our forebears used their culinary ingenuity to make the ingredients they could afford taste wonderful while providing wholesome goodness in a meal for their large circles of eaters.

Recipe Tips

Many a mujadara has yielded mushy results for the cook’s efforts, this I know from firsthand experience! I have worked the mujadara-making process over, and over again, to find the pain points that take us down. I now know the simple fixes that guarantee the results we’re after: a deep golden brown pilaf with tender, yet never mushy, bites. Read on to find out how to make a perfectly fluffy, flavorful mujadara every time.

• Here’s what to look for in your finished mujadara: the lentils and rice granules should be separate and distinct rather than mushy. The mush-factor is avoided by using small dark brown lentils, ideally Spanish Pardina, rather than flatter, standard light brown/green lentils. Don’t substitute any old lentil here–red lentils will turn to mush as well.
• The goal in the finished mujadara pilaf is a dark brown, toasted nut color. While we start with brown lentils, the deep caramelization of the onions is the flavor- and color-maker in this dish. So get comfortable by the stove while the onions cook to a deep, dark brown! Stir nearly constantly to keep them moving and to prevent the bottom of the pan from burning. Know, though, that some of the onions will take on char, and this bit of burnt is a good thing. The onions will not be evenly browned when finished; some will be darker, some lighter, but overall the color is brown.
• Note that the quantity of diced onion is rather flexible in this recipe. If you have a huge yellow onion or just a medium-sized, either will work. But I learned long ago from my Aunt Rita, who made perfect mujadara, that the more onion, the better. So I always look for and use the largest yellow onions available and keep one or two on hand for when I want to make mujadara on a whim. If using small yellow onions, dice up four of those.
• While not traditional, you can reserve some of the browned onions for garnish, if desired.
• Take care to simmer the mujadara, once brought to a boil with all of the liquids, at a very low temperature with the lid on the pot. The low cooking temperature prevents the pilaf from sticking to the bottom of the pan, which occurs when the bottom of the pilaf cooks faster than the rest of the pot if the heat is too high.