Mujadara is a comforting and delicious lentil and rice dish from the Middle East. It features boiled lentils and rice flavored with warm spices, and caramelized onions.
For more lentil recipes, try stuffed bell peppers, harira soup, and Moroccan lentil soup.
Mujadara, also spelled mujaddara, mejadra, mudardara, or majadra โ is a beloved dish made with lentils, rice, and caramelized onions, cherished across the Levant and the Middle East.
Like other iconic regional recipes, such as falafel, hummus, and fattoush, mujadara uses humble, affordable ingredients like lentils and rice to create something truly satisfying.
Itโs naturally plant-based, budget-friendly, and packed with protein, fiber, and warm, comforting flavors.
Louise and I love how this dish brings together health, taste, and simplicity in one pot.
For our version, we were inspired by the Lebanese variant known as mudardara. It combines cooked lentils and rice with warming spices. It’s traditionally a seven-spice mix called Bahฤrฤt, and is topped with sweet, crispy pan-fried onions.
While it may not be exactly what youโd find in a Beirut or Baghdad kitchen, our take is colorful, cozy, and easy to make. Enjoy!
How to make Mujadara
Quantities are in the recipe box at the bottom of the page.
The ingredients for mujadara are green or brown lentils, basmati rice, and caramelized onions, which you can make with olive oil, onions, sugar, vinegar, water, and salt.
For spices, you’ll need coriander, paprika, cumin, cinnamon, red pepper flakes, and turmeric (not traditional, but recommended for a beautiful golden color).
You’ll also need scallions, garlic, parsley, cilantro (optional), and lemon juice.
1. Caramelize the onions
Peel and cut the onions into โ inch or ยฝ cm slices and sautรฉ them with olive oil, salt, and sugar in a large skillet on medium heat for 5 minutes. Stir often.
Add water, lower the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 20 minutes until the liquid is completely gone and the sliced onions are golden and soft. Stir occasionally.
Set the stove to high heat and add the vinegar. Stir for 2 minutes, then turn the heat off and set aside.
Tip: the onions cook mostly on their own, so you can proceed to the next steps as they simmer.
2. Cook the lentils
Bring a pot with plenty of water to a boil. For 1 cup of dried lentils, consider 4 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt.
Add rinsed dried lentils and a teaspoon of salt and simmer for 15 to 30 minutes, or until they are tender but hold their shape. Drain and set aside.
3. Cook the rice
Bring a small pot with plenty of water to a boil. For 1/2 cup rice, consider 3 cups water and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
Add rinsed basmati rice and boil it on low heat for 8 to 10 minutes or until it is cooked but with a bite. Drain and set aside.
4. Mix with spices
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add chopped green onions (save the tops for garnishing) and sautรฉ for 2 minutes.
Add pressed garlic, red pepper flakes, ground cumin, ground coriander, cinnamon, paprika, and turmeric powder, and sautรฉ for one more minute.
Stir in cooked lentils and rice, 1/2 of the caramelized onions, chopped parsley and cilantro, salt, and black pepper.
Sautรฉ in the pan for a few minutes until everything is warm and well combined. Taste and adjust for salt.
How to serve mujadara
We recommend serving it as a centerpiece meal on a large platter, topped with the remaining caramelized onions, scallion tops, and parsley.
Serve it with lemon wedges next to a bowl of Greek yogurt or yogurt tahini sauce.
As a side, you can have a refreshing salad like Shirazi salad, fattoush, tahini salad, or cucumber-tomato salad.
Substitutions
- Basmati rice: Substitute brown basmati rice for white basmati rice. You can also use long-grain rice, short-grain rice, or jasmine rice.
- Lentils: You can use dried brown lentils, green lentils, or black lentils. Here’s everything you need to know about how to cook lentils and how to cook black lentils.
- You can substitute canned lentils for dried ones. They don’t need to be cooked. Drain and rinse them before adding them to the skillet with the spices.
- Caramelized onions: Substitute store-bought crispy fried onions for caramelized onions.
- Scallions: You can substitute onions for spring onions.
- Spices: Feel free to add or remove spices based on your preference, and if you have them in your pantry, substitute the Lebanese seven-spice mix (Bahฤrฤt) for our recommended spices. Turmeric is not usually added to mujadara. We like to add a small amount to dye the dish with a gorgeous golden color.
- Fresh herbs: Try to use a mix of fresh flat-leaf parsley and fresh coriander or cilantro. You can also add fresh mint.
Questions
Mujaddara is an Arabic word that can be translated into English as “pockmarked” because the lentils mixed with rice vaguely resemble pockmarks.
Mujadara is pronounced /muหdสษdษษนษ/.
Lentils and rice are staple foods throughout the Middle East and the Arab world.
The first written recipe for Mujaddara was found in an Iraqi cookbook called Kitab al-Tabikh and written in 1226.
However, it is believed that the recipe was already popular during the Middle Ages across Arab countries.
Storage
Make Ahead: You can cook lentils, rice, and caramelized onions up to 3 days in advance and store them in an airtight container in the fridge. You can also make mujadara for meal prep because it keeps wonderfully in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days.
Refrigerator: store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave for 2 minutes or in a pan with a drizzle of olive oil.
Freezer: Let the mujaddara cool down completely, transfer it into a freezer-friendly container, and freeze it for up to 3 months.
Thaw & Reheat: Defrost for several hours in the refrigerator. Warm it in the microwave for a few minutes or on a pan with olive oil.
More lentil recipes
- Lentil stew
- lentil curry
- lentil pasta
- lentil bolognese
- lentil patties
- Turkish lentil soup
- lentil salad
If you tried this Mujadara recipe or any other recipe on our blog, please leave a ๐ star rating and let us know how it goes in the comments. We love hearing from you!
Mujadara (Lentils and Rice)
Ingredients
Caramelized Onions
- 4 large onions white or yellow
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ยพ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon vinegar apple cider or balsamic
Other Ingredients
- 1 cup dried lentils green or brown + 4 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt to cook them
- ยฝ cup basmati rice + 3 cups water and ยฝ teaspoon salt to cook them
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 4 scallions finely chopped (reserve green tops for garnish)
- 2 cloves garlic pressed or grated
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- ยฝ teaspoon cumin
- ยฝ teaspoon cinnamon
- ยฝ teaspoon turmeric powder optional, not traditional
- โ teaspoon red pepper flakes or more to taste
- ยฝ teaspoon salt or more to taste
- โ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley chopped
- 2 tablespoons cilantro chopped, optional
Serving Suggestions
- 4 wedges lemon
- 1 cup yogurt tahini sauce or plain Greek yogurt
Instructions
- CARAMELIZE ONIONS: Slice 4 large onions thinly (1/5 inch or 1/2 cm).Sautรฉ in 1 tablespoon olive oil with ยพ teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon sugar for 5 minutes.Add 1 cup water, reduce heat to medium-low, simmer for 20 minutes until liquid evaporates.Increase heat to high, add 1 tablespoon vinegar, and stir for 2 minutes. Turn off heat and set aside.
- COOK LENTILS: Boil water (4 cups per 1 cup of lentils). Add 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 cup dried lentils (rinsed).Simmer for 15-30 minutes until tender but intact. Drain and set aside.COOK RICE: Boil water (3 cups per 1/2 cup of rice). Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Add ยฝ cup basmati rice (rinsed). Boil on low heat for 8-10 minutes until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- MAKE FLAVOR BASE: Heat 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet. Add 4 scallions (chopped, save the tops for garnishing) and sautรฉ for 2 minutes.Add 2 cloves garlic (pressed), 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon coriander, ยฝ teaspoon cumin, ยฝ teaspoon cinnamon, ยฝ teaspoon turmeric powder, โ teaspoon red pepper flakes, and sautรฉ one more minute or until fragrant.Stir in lentils, rice, ยฝ of the caramelized onions, 2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, and 2 tablespoons cilantro (chopped), ยฝ teaspoon salt, and โ teaspoon black pepper.Sautรฉ in the pan for a few minutes until everything is warm and well combined. Taste and adjust for salt.
- SERVING SUGGESTIONS: We recommend serving it as a centerpiece dish on a large platter, topped with the remaining caramelized onions, scallion tops, and parsley.
- Also, add lemon wedges and a bowl of Greek-style yogurt or yogurt tahini sauce to pair it with.As a side, you can have a refreshing salad like fattoush, Shirazi salad, or cucumber-tomato salad.
Video
Notes
- Basmati rice: substitute brown basmati rice, long grain rice, short grain rice, jasmine rice, or regular brown rice.
- Lentils:ย You can use brown, green, black, and French lentils. You can substitute canned lentils for dried ones. They donโt need to be cooked. Drain and rinse them before adding them to the skillet with the spices.
- Caramelized onions:ย Substitute store-bought crispy fried onions.
- Scallions:ย Substitute one onion.
- Spices:ย Add or remove spices based on your preference, and if you have it in your pantry, substitute the Lebanese seven-spice mix (Bahฤrฤt) for our recommended spices.
- Cilantro (fresh coriander):ย Substitute fresh mint.
- Make ahead: The dish is suitable for meal prep due to its good storage properties. Lentils, rice, and caramelized onions can be prepared 3 days in advance.
- Refrigeration: Keeps for 4-5 days in an airtight container.
- Freezing: Can be frozen for up to 3 months after cooling.
- Thawing: Defrost in refrigerator, then reheat as above.
- Reheating: Use microwave (2 minutes) or stovetop with olive oil.
Nutrition
Hi! We are Nico & Louise
Weโre here to share delicious, easy, and healthy plant-based recipes (vegetarian & vegan) ๐ฟโจ.
Welcome to our blog, we are glad you are here.
After searching for a mujaddara recipe for a few days that I thought would be flavourful, I settled on Nico’s version, made a batch this afternoon to serve to a friend for dinner tomorrow and it’s absolutely delicious. After reading some of the feedback about mushy rice and/or lentils, I decided to use a can of lentils I had on hand and was planning to use soon anyway, and added it to the small batch of basmati rice I cooked.
Where I went a bit off the rails was with the caramelized onions: mine ended up being close to onion jam. Possible errors on my part: using half red onions, slicing the onions horizontally instead of from top to tail, simmering the onions with the lid fully on the pot so I had to keep cooking them 10 minutes longer to reduce the amount of liquid before adding the vinegar.
One thought about the complaints other commenters made about mushy rice/lentils is that perhaps Nico needs to indicate the size(volume) of the pot to use. It’s easy enough to end up with mushy lentils or rice when it’s cooked on its own. Adding the rice to partially cooked lentils just makes it even more likely to add too much water when the average home cook is trying to prepare this dish. (I guess that’s why most of the recipes I’ve seen call for cooking the lentils and rice separately.)
I will definitely make this recipe again, and look forward to any feedback Nico might have for me.
Hi Lynne,
Thank you so much for taking the time to write this. Yours is excellent advice.
You are absolutely right; getting the rice & lentils to cook right in the same pot can be tricky.
There are too many variables (like type of lentils, type of rice, amount of water, etc).
I’ll think of a new way of making this recipe simpler and failproof!
For the onions, I’d slice them a little thicker next time and cook them without a lid ๐
Thank you again!
Ps. Hope your friend loved the Mujadara ๐
Nico
Hi Nico
Yes, my friend and I loved the Mujadara despite the “onion jam” carmelized onions. I am glad you found my feedback helpful.
I am going to make another batch today, using dried Eston lentils which are similar to the French Puy lentils – smaller than the usual green or brown lentils, and remain intact when cooked into soups, etc. Will crack the lid on the frying pan a bit as I cook off the water added to the sauteed onions too and take better care not to let them simmer too long.
Nice Vรญdeo and Images. The rรฉcipe is delicious but when I did it, it was mushy and did not look so nice it was a big pot of everything together as purรฉe.
Hi Klaus,
I’m sorry it didn’t turn out like in the picture.
My guess would be the lentils and rice were overcooked?
It’s possible that your lentils cooked faster than mine.
Which type of lentils did you use?
I had a similar experience.
Using green lentils and basmati rice, after cooking per the recipe they came out overcooked and mushed together when added to the spices.
Additionally there is no specification when to use fresh coriander or dried. As, “1 handful of flat leaf parsley and coriander”. Also a handful is subjective, who’s hands are we talking about?
Last gripe, the side of yogurt, the amount of spices added impart no additional taste…
However, the dish tastes great, the brightness of the herbs and lemon are great, and as a vegetarian option its fantastic. I’d make it again but cook the lentils and rice separately (so they dont overcook and turn to mush).
Hi Lee, thanks for your message and feedback.
We improved and republished the recipe so that it’s more precise and easier to follow.
We now recommend cooking the lentils and rice separately since you are not the first to mention the overcooking problem.
Unfortunately different varieties of lentils and rice have different cooking times, so it’s easiest to cook them in separate pots to prevent them from overcooking.
We added the specific amount of parsley and coriander and we now recommend yogurt tahini sauce to go with the Mujadara.
Thanks again for the feedback ๐
Nico
Really yummy! A nice combination of spices. The onions are the best part.
Amazing, Rachel. I’m very happy you enjoyed the mujaddara ๐
Thank you for your comment, and have a great week ahead!
Kindest,
Louise
Made this tonight and it rocked my socks! So flavorful. Best thing I’ve cooked in a long time.
Fantastic, Trina!
I’m so happy you liked it, it’s one of my favorites too. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment.
Kindest,
Louise
One of the best things Iโve ever made!
Fantastic, Hannah!
I’m so delighted you liked it, thanks for leaving a comment ๐
Such a great recipe! The flavor was amazing. The caramelized onions really make the dish. I meal prepped this for my dinners this week, and now Iโm excited!
That’s fantastic, JD – I’m so happy you enjoyed the mujaddara ๐
You are right; the caramelized onions are vital with the rice and lentils, great for meal-prepping.
All the best,
Louise
Loved the recipeโฆjust excellentโฆlongest part was carmelizing the onions,,,takes a lonnnnnng timeโฆ.
Are you sure its 2 cups dried lentils to one cup rice as in the recipe? Looks like its one to one on the video and the photo on this page. I made it tonight, tasted great but was way more “globby” than your example which looks more like biryani. Could have overcooked it a bit too I suppose.
Hi Mike, thanks for your message ๐
Yes we make this with 2 cups of lentils for 1 cup of rice. But you can totally make it with a 1 to 1 ratio if you prefer it with less lentils.
For the “globby” texture, yep, that’s the overcooking ๐ It’s possible that our lentils and rice take a bit longer than yours.
Satisfying and delicious comfort food, the caramelized onions really make it special. Thank you once again.
You’re very welcome Rachel. I’m so happy you liked the Mujaddara, thanks for making it. Happy Friday. Cheers, Louise
Amazing recipe!!! Huge hit
Hi Alice,
Thanks so much for coming back to leave a comment – I’m really happy you liked the recipe!!
Have a great day, cheers Nico