Fadi's Mujaddara Recipe
Captured By
The Recipe Hunters
In Lebanon
Mujaddara is a nutritious Middle Eastern porridge made of lentils and rice (or bulgur). It is a staple of the Middle Eastern diet, popular in many countries as a go-to dinner meal for it's nutrition and ease of cooking. It is also popular amongst the vegetarian and vegan communities offering essential minerals, nutrients, vitamins, dietary fiber, and protein! What's great about this recipe is that you can spice it up. Lentils are incredible at absorbing the flavors of herbs and seasonings they are mixed with. You can also substitute quinoa, bulgur, or spelt for the rice. Feel free to take your own twist on this traditional recipe and remember to make it with LOVE!!
Note for the Recipe:
Boil the lentils in water until they are mushy. Process them into a purée with a bit of the water you cooked them in. Add them back onto the stove with raw rice, season with salt and pepper, and allow the lentil purée to thicken and the rice to fatten. Continuously stir. In another pan, sautèe onions until they are golden and translucent, spice them with a pinch of cumin, and set aside. Once the rice swells in the lentil purée add sautéed onions, mix and let sit for 15 minutes before serving. Garnish with mint and radishes, and sautéed onions. For the detailed recipe and photos see below.
INGREDIENTS
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600 g of lentils (3 cups)
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1/4 cup olive oil
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1/2 Tbsp of cumin
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½ tsp white pepper
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1 large onion
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Salt to taste
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1 cup jasmine or arborio rice
Serves: 4
Prep time: 1 hr
Kitchen Tips & Tricks:
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Feel free to garnish the Mujaddara with sautéed onions, in this case fry 2 onions instead of one and only mix in half of the onions during step 4, the rest sprinkle over your final product!
MUJADDARA RECIPE
Step 1: Cooking the Lentils
Wash lentils with cold water. Place lentils in a large pot covered by 3 inches of water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and remove scum when it rises to the surface of the boiling water. After removing the scum, turn the heat down to medium, cover, and cook until the lentils are soft and mushy (about 35 minutes). If water boils down and lentils are still hard add more water and continue to cook.
Step 2: Processing the Lentils:
When the lentils are ready, scoop the them from the pot into a food processor or tomato grinder, using the broth from the boiled lentils to liquify the texture. The mashed lentils should be more liquid that solid; a similar consistency to a porridge.
OR....
Step 3: Reheating the Lentils with Rice
Remove the excess broth that you did not use, and add the mashed lentils back to the large pot. Place them on medium-high heat and add the cup of rice. Stir in 1 tsp of white pepper and 1 Tbsp of Salt. Constantly stir so that the lentils do not stick to the bottom of the pot. You will know the lentils are ready once the consistency thickens and the rice swells to double it's width (about 20 minutes). At this point the lentils shouold have the same consistency as cream of wheat.
Step 4: Sautéing the Onions
While the lentils and rice are cooking, chop up one large onion and add 1/4 cups of olive oil to a frying pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the onions, turn down to the heat to medium, and cover. Once the onions are transparent and golden add 1/2 Tbsp of cumin and stir it in, after 1 minute turn the stove off and place the seasoned onions to the side.
Step 5: Combining the onions with the Mujaddara, final seasoning, and cooling
Remove any excess oil from the onions and mix them into the lentils. Salt, pepper and cumin to taste. Allow the lentils to cool and congeal for 15 minutes before serving.
Enjoy Mujaddara, Made with Love!!
Written by The Recipe Hunters: Anthony Morano and Leila Elamine