Mujaddara: A hearty vegetarian dish with cumin-spiced lentils, rice and crispy fried onions

Mujaddara is a humble Levantine dish that comes together using three common pantry ingredients: rice, lentils and onions. While the recipe is simple, the combination of cumin-spiced grains and legumes topped with crispy fried onions is absolutely magical. Serve it with a fresh salad of finely chopped vegetables for the perfect contrast of texture and flavour.

Ingredients

Crispy onions:

• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp salt

Lentils and rice:

• 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 cups dry brown or green lentils
• 1 vegetable or chicken bouillon cube
• 8 cups water or vegetable or chicken broth
• 2 cups long-grain basmati rice, washed and rinsed
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2¼ tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper

Salad:

• 2 persian cucumbers, finely chopped
• 1 large red bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1 tomato, finely chopped
• ½ small red onion, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses (or balsamic glaze)
• ½ tsp salt

Preparation

Add the olive oil to a large sauté pan set over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and salt. Stir, cover and cook for 10 minutes, allowing the onions to wilt. (Note: if you prefer caramelized onions, cook them for approximately 30 minutes or until the onions are deeply golden. Uncover and stir the onions every 1 to 2 minutes.)

Once cooked, remove the onions from the pan using a slotted spoon and set aside on a paper towel. 

While the sliced onions are cooking, heat the olive oil in a medium-sized non-stick pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook until softened, around 4 to 5 minutes.

Add the lentils, bouillon cube and water or broth, and bring to a rolling boil. Turn the heat to medium low, cover and let simmer until the lentils are softened and almost cooked, about 10 minutes. 

Add the rice, cumin, salt and pepper, and bring to a rolling boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook for 20 minutes. (Note: placing a paper towel underneath the lid can help ensure that the rice cooks to a fluffy texture and does not absorb too much liquid.)

Remove from heat and gently fluff the rice. Cover and let stand for 10 minutes.

For the salad, add all ingredients to a small bowl and mix well.

Arrange the rice and lentils on a platter and top with crispy onions. Serve with salad and yogurt on the side.

Serves 6

Produced in collaboration with CBC Creator Network.