Mujadara

Name: Mujadara
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 cup, uncooked (200g) Green Lentils; 3/4 cup, uncooked (150g) White Rice; 3 large, sliced (400g) Onions; 3 tbsp (45g) Olive Oil; 2/3 cup, to serve (150g) Yogurt; a good grind (2g) Black Pepper

Recipes · Lunch · Recipe, Typed Supps

Lentils, rice and a mountain of fried onions. Three ingredients, and one of the great cheap meals.

Allergens and patterns

Contains milk. Fits: Vegetarian, Pescatarian, Halal, Kosher, Gluten-free.

Ingredients

1 cup, uncooked (200g) Green Lentils — They hold their shape through a long cook, which brown lentils do and red lentils absolutely do not.
3/4 cup, uncooked (150g) White Rice — Added partway through, since it needs half the time the lentils do. Together they make a complete protein.
3 large, sliced (400g) Onions — This is not a garnish quantity. Fried slowly until genuinely dark brown, they are the only flavouring in the dish.
3 tbsp (45g) Olive Oil — Enough to properly fry that many onions. Under-oiled they steam and stay pale, and the dish tastes of nothing.
2/3 cup, to serve (150g) Yogurt — Cold and sour against something warm and earthy. Served alongside rather than stirred in.
a good grind (2g) Black Pepper — Generous. With this few ingredients, the seasoning has to carry more than usual.

Nutrition per serving

Calories: 274.5 kcal
Protein: 9.5g
Carbohydrate: 29g
of which sugars: 7.5g
Fat: 13g
of which saturated: 2.7g
Fibre: 6.6g
Sodium: 38.7mg

Method

Fry the sliced onions in the oil over medium heat for 20–25 minutes, until deep brown. This is most of the cooking time and it cannot be rushed.
Set half the onions aside for the top and leave the rest in the pan.
Add the lentils and water, simmer 15 minutes, then add the rice and cook another 15 until both are tender.
Pile the reserved onions on top and serve with yogurt.