This vegan dish is tasty, packed with protein, and easy to make.
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Duration1 hourhr15 minutesmins
Servings4
Ingredients
150mlextra virgin olive oil
3large onionsabout 600g in total
240gbasmati rice
1tbspplus ¼ tsp salt
320gbrown lentils
1 ½tspground cumin
1tspground cinnamon
½tspfreshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Heat 4 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large saucepan for which you have a lid over medium-low heat. Peel and finely chop one of the onions and sauté until golden all over (10-15 minutes).
Meanwhile, rinse the rice until the water runs almost clear, then cover with fresh water and leave to soak while you proceed with the recipe.
Peel, halve, and slice the remaining onions and line a cooling rack with kitchen paper. Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan over medium-low heat, then fry the onions until dark golden (20-30 minutes), stirring them often. Strain them into a sieve placed over a bowl to catch the oil (reserve it for later), then transfer the onions onto a cooling rack and sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon of the salt.
Once the chopped onions in the saucepan are golden, rinse the lentils under the running water; set aside. Add the cumin, cinnamon, and black pepper to the saucepan, heat through for 1 minute, then tip in the lentils and 900ml (4 cups minus 3 tablespoons) of water. Bring to a boil, move to the lowest heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes, or until the lentils are almost tender.
Drain the rice and mix it into the lentils along with the remaining 1 tablespoon of salt. Return to a boil, then reduce the heat again and simmer covered for 12 minutes more. You can prepare the salad in the meantime, if making.
Turn off the heat, keep the lid on the pan and let the mujaddara steam for a final 10 minutes. Remove the lid, drizzle in the reserved onion oil and gently fold it through. Serve on a large tray topped with the crispy onions.
In the south of Lebanon, mujaddara is commonly prepared with coarse bulgur instead of white rice, giving it a wholesome nutty flavor. Swap the rice with bulgur (no need to rinse and soak) and follow the recipe as above.