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Lebanese Mujadara Recipe – Lentils, Rice & Fried Onions

July 11, 2017 by Edyta 12 Comments

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Edyta
Author at Eating European
Recipe developer, photographer and the writer behind the Eating European food blog of European and Mediterranean healthy and delicious recipes
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Latest posts by Edyta (see all)
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Lebanese Mujadara Recipe combines lentils with rice for a perfectly balanced protein dish. Seasoned with Middle Eastern flavors and topped with crispy fried onions, makes this a truly irresistible meal.

Lebanese Mujadara (Lentils with Rice and Fried Onions) on a yellow plate, with fork and blue towel next to it.

How is traditional Mujadara made

This Lebanese Mujadara Recipe is my latest addiction. I made a huge batch of it and have been chipping away at it for a few days straight.

While the traditional version of this dish is usually made with brown lentils, unless you buy them online or in a fancy organic store, these type of lentils are not easily available. I checked a number of local grocery stores and all they had were green lentils.

So, in that I want my recipes to be as easy as possible with ingredients found in most grocery stores, I, therefore, used green lentils and Jasmin rice for this Lebanese Mujadara Recipe.

This is a perfect side dish to any Mediterranean or Middle Eastern main course. However, because it contains rice and lentils, it can also serve as a vegetarian main dish.

Mujadara on a plate with pan in a background.

The special ingredient in this Lebanese Lentil and Rice dish

One of the spices that I used in this Lebanese Mujadara Recipe is cinnamon. While I don’t think this spice in incorporated in the traditional version, I have seen a minority of recipes using it  – and since cinnamon is one of my favorite spices, I didn’t hesitate to add it in here.

If you follow this blog then I’m sure you’re aware that I use cinnamon in a lot of Mediterranean or Greek-inspired recipes, like

  • Greek Chicken with Cauliflower,
  • Greek Chicken with Cauliflower, Tomatoes, and Feta;
  • Turkish Inspired Eggplant with Tomatoes and Feta; or
  • Butternut Squash Beef Stew with Cinnamon and Pomegranates.

All of these recipes are superstars in my house!

My guess is that if you like cinnamon and warm spices you’ll definitely love this Lebanese Mujadara recipe.

Ingredients used to make Mujadara

Here’s the list of ingredients that are part of this awesome dish:

  • Lentils;
  • Rice;
  • Onions (you’ll use them twice – first you sauté some and add to lentils & rice, then you’ll fry extra ones and add them to the top of the dish);
  • Cumin;
  • Coriander;
  • Cinnamon;
  • Salt & pepper;
  • Freshly chopped parsley.

Mujadara (lentils and rice with fried onions) on a fork

You can alter this Mujadara dish to your liking by:

  • Adding lemon juice on top;
  • Adding a splash of olive oil;
  • Top it with some crumbled feta (I can put feta on anything, but I especially like it on my rice dishes); or by
  • Using fresh mint instead of parsley.

You can serve this Mujadara with:

  • A side of Greek yogurt or tzatziki for a simple vegetarian meal;
  • Grilled Chicken Shawarma;
  • Mediterranean Chicken Kebabs;
  • Honey Harrisa Chicken Skewers;
  • Brown Sugar Pork Chops with Garlic and Herbs;
  • Or these Lamb Koftas from Recipe Tin Eats.

Lentils and Rice with Fried Onions with fork

I hope you’ll enjoy this awesome Lebanese Mujadara Recipe. Cheers 🙂

Here is your Printable Recipe

Lebanese Mujadara Recipe combines lentils with rice for a perfect protein meal. Seasoned with Middle Eastern flavors and topped with crispy fried onions makes for a truly irresistible dish.

Lebanese Mujadara Recipe

Lebanese Mujadara Recipe combines lentils with rice for a perfectly balanced protein dish. Seasoned with Middle Eastern flavors and topped with crispy fried onions, makes this a truly irresistible meal.
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories: 318kcal
Author: Edyta

Ingredients

  • 1 cup lentils brown, red or green
  • 1 cup rice long grain
  • 4 onions 2 sliced, 2 chopped
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon coriander
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 3 tablespoon oil cooking
  • 1 tablespoon parsley Italian, chopped
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  • Rinse the lentils and add to the boiling water for about 15 minutes until they are tender; drain;
  • In a heavy pan heat up olive oil, add chopped onions and cook until translucent, 3-4 minutes;
  • Add cumin and coriander, mix well;
  • Add rice and lentils and coat with onion & spice mixture;
  • Add cold water to cover the grains, season with salt and pepper; 
  • Cook for about 15 minutes until the water is absorbed and rice and lentils are soft;
  • In the meantime heat up cooking oil, add sliced onion and fry until golden brown and crispy; take out of the pan and dry on paper towel;
  • Once rice and lentils are cooked, turn off the heat, add cinnamon, cover and let stand for 10 minutes;
  • Place the rice and lentils on a serving dish, top with fried onions and parsley; serve immediately.

Notes

You can sprinkle the rice with lemon juice and/or extra virgin olive oil.
Nutrition Facts
Lebanese Mujadara Recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 318 Calories from Fat 63
% Daily Value*
Fat 7g11%
Sodium 7mg0%
Potassium 448mg13%
Carbohydrates 51g17%
Fiber 11g46%
Sugar 3g3%
Protein 11g22%
Vitamin A 70IU1%
Vitamin C 7.8mg9%
Calcium 47mg5%
Iron 3mg17%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
 
 

Nutrition

Calories: 318kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 7g | Sodium: 7mg | Potassium: 448mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 70IU | Vitamin C: 7.8mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 3mg
Tried this recipe?Show me @eatingeuropean or tag #eatingeuropean!

Lebanese Mujadara on a yellow plate with fork

If you like this recipe you may also like these recipes using lentils or rice:

Greek Lentils Soup with Feta – Fakes

greek-lentil-soup-6

Tomatoes Red Lentils Coconut Soup

Tomatos Red Lentils Coconut Soup

Greek Spinach Rice with Feta

Greek Spinach Rice with Feta

Leftover Turkey Spanish Rice

Leftover Turkey Spanish Rice

One Pot Chicken Saffron Rice with Peas and Olives

One Pot Chicken Saffron Rice with Olives and Piementon is an easy weeknight meal that requires minimum work. The oven does the job for you

Related posts:

Perfect French Cheese Board + Wine Pairing
Parsley Potatoes - The Best Potatoes Recipe
French Salad Dressing (French Vinaigrette Recipe)
Rice Salad with Corn, Ham, Cucumber and Chives

Filed Under: Ethnic Recipes, Gluten Free, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Side dish, Vegetarian Tagged With: cinnamon, lentils, onions, rice, vegan

Previous Post: « Greek Chickpea Soup – Revithosoupa
Next Post: Penne Alla Vecchia Bettola – Pasta in Vodka Sauce »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Tina Dawson | Love is in my Tummy

    July 12, 2017 at 10:48 am

    5 stars
    I’ve seen the Mujadara on menus, but never really dared to try them out. I see the error of my ways now, coz they sound absolutely delicious! And I love crispy fried onions – they are such a magical ingredient!

    Reply
    • Edyta

      July 12, 2017 at 11:22 am

      Thanks Tina! Let me know how you like it once you try it!

      Reply
  2. Michelle | The Last Food Blog

    July 12, 2017 at 11:13 am

    This looks really tasty! I’ve never tried Mujadara before but will definitely try it now, thank you!

    Reply
    • Edyta

      July 12, 2017 at 11:23 am

      Awesome! Let me know how you liked it Michelle!

      Reply
  3. Elaine @ Dishes Delish

    July 12, 2017 at 11:26 am

    5 stars
    What a great dish! It reminds me of something my cousin-in-law’s mom made. I hadn’t realized that this was the name of it! I can’t wait to make your recipe! Maybe I’ll surpise our cousin with it, or maybe hubby and I will eat it all on our own!

    Reply
    • Edyta

      July 12, 2017 at 11:29 am

      Thanks Elaine! Let me know how you liked it 🙂

      Reply
  4. Kristina @ Love & Zest

    July 12, 2017 at 11:30 am

    I am going to have to try this recipe out! Sounds great!

    Reply
    • Edyta

      July 12, 2017 at 11:45 am

      Thanks Kristina!

      Reply
  5. Jagruti

    July 12, 2017 at 11:45 am

    I had Mujadara when I visited Greece, loved it since then I do prepare at home too. Thanks for sharing this recipe.

    Reply
    • Edyta

      July 12, 2017 at 12:28 pm

      Great! I love Greece. Cannot wait to go back!

      Reply
  6. Darlene

    January 3, 2018 at 10:22 pm

    I’m going to try to make this with cauliflower instead of rice. Have you ever tried that??

    Reply
    • Edyta

      January 4, 2018 at 11:08 am

      Hi Darlene, I have never tried making Mujadara with cauliflower but I can assume it will be good. Just keep in mind that cauliflower has a lot more moisture then rice so you will have to make some adjustments. Let me know how it came out 🙂

      Reply

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Hi, I'm Edyta. I’m a recipe developer, photographer, and writer behind the Eating European food blog of European and Mediterranean healthy and delicious recipes. I consider myself a home chef with a cultivated passion for amazing food.
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