Syrian Lentils, Rice and Caramelized Onions (Mujadara)
It’s a beautiful dish layered with lentils and rice at the bottom, followed by caramelized onions.
Mujadara is served across the Middle East in various forms and goes by differing names, depending on where you are.
Mujadara is a vegetarian famous food in Syria, because of its delicious taste and high nutritional value.
It’s also special diet-friendly, since it’s gluten free and easily vegan/dairy free (simply serve hummus or tahini sauce on the side instead of yogurt).
Traditionally, many Syrians used to eat it with families and friends especially in Turkish Hammams (baths)
Mujadara is known as “poor man’s food” and Christians food during the Great Holy Fast in the spring, when “fasters” are required to eat a mainly vegan diet for 55 days.
The first recorded recipe for this food can be found in an Iraqi cookbook that was published in 1226.
There are various forms of Mujadara, as Mujadara hamra, mujadara Makhbousa, Mujadara with rice and Mujadara with bulgur, and there are many ways to cook it
INGREDIENTS
2.5 cups brown lentils
▢1 cup rice
▢1 teaspoon salt
▢4 tablespoons olive oil divided
▢6 onions 5 chopped, and 1 sliced
▢1 teaspoon cumin
INSTRUCTIONS
Rinse lentils, strain and place in a large pot with 5 cups of water. Bring mixture to a boil, simmer and cook covered until the lentils are tender but not fully cooked, about 15 minutes. Most of the liquid should be absorbed.
Rinse the rice, then transfer to the pot of lentils and season with salt. Add 2 cups water, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook covered until the rice is tender, about 18 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat. Allow the rice to rest in the pot for about 5 minutes, without opening the lid, to absorb all the liquid and steam.
In a separate large pan, heat two tablespoons of olive oil on medium heat and fry the chopped onions until golden brown, about 10-15 minutes. Transfer on top of the lentils and rice mixture, add cumin and toss to combine.
In the same large pan used to cook the onions, heat the remaining olive oil on medium heat and fry the sliced onions until golden brown and caramelized, about 15 minutes. In the last couple minutes of frying the onions, you can turn up the heat to high to get a crispy texture.
Serve the caramelized onions on top of mujadara with yogurt or Syrian salad
Lara Khlouli