Mujaddara

Name: Mujaddara
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: 3 Yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced; 1 cup Green lentils, rinsed; 3/4 cup Brown basmati rice, rinsed; 1 tsp Cumin seed; 1 tsp Coriander seed; 1 piece cassia cinnamon, 2 inch; 1/4 tsp Allspice, ground; 2 Bay leaves; 1/2 tsp Black peppercorns, freshly ground; 3 tbsp Flat-leaf parsley, chopped; 1 Lemon, cut into wedges

Serves 4 60 min total, 30 min hands on Middle Eastern $0.59 per serving No added salt

Mujaddara is the dish cooks across the Levant reach for when there is little in the house: lentils, rice, and onions. The onions are usually fried in a lot of oil until crisp. Browned slowly in a dry pan instead, they still collapse into something dark and sweet. Lemon at the table does the work salt would.

Ingredients

3 Yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced
1 cup Green lentils, rinsed
3/4 cup Brown basmati rice, rinsed
1 tsp Cumin seed
1 tsp Coriander seed
1 piece cassia cinnamon, 2 inch
1/4 tsp Allspice, ground
2 Bay leaves
1/2 tsp Black peppercorns, freshly ground
3 tbsp Flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 Lemon, cut into wedges

Method

Put the sliced onions in a wide dry pan over medium heat with a pinch of the black pepper. Cook, stirring often, for 20 to 25 minutes. They will steam, then dry out, then start to brown. When they stick, add a tablespoon of water and scrape up the color. Keep going until they are deep brown and jammy. Rushing this is the one way to ruin the dish.
While the onions cook, toast the cumin and coriander seeds in a small dry pan until fragrant, about 1 minute, then grind them.
Simmer the lentils in 4 cups (1 L) water with the bay leaves and cinnamon stick until barely tender, about 15 minutes. They should still have a little bite. Drain, saving the cooking water.
Return the lentils to the pot with the rice, the ground cumin and coriander, the allspice, and half the browned onions. Add 1 3/4 cups (420 ml) of the reserved cooking water, topping up with fresh water if needed.
Bring to a boil, then drop to the lowest heat, cover, and cook for 20 minutes. Do not lift the lid.
Turn off the heat and let it steam, still covered, for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and discard the cinnamon and bay.
Pile the rest of the onions on top and scatter with parsley. Serve warm or at room temperature with lemon wedges to squeeze over, which is where the brightness comes from instead of salt.

Nutrition

Estimated per serving: 340 calories, 16 g protein, 9 g fiber. Computed from USDA FoodData Central reference values for the main ingredients. This is an approximation, not a laboratory measurement.

Cost per serving is estimated from US national-average retail prices for cheap staple forms, using BLS dried-bean prices and USDA produce prices. Prices vary by store and season, so treat it as a guide, not a receipt.