Middle Eastern recipe

Lebanese Mujadara with Crispy Onions

Name: Lebanese Mujadara with Crispy Onions
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h 5 min
Total time: 1 h 25 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Middle Eastern cuisine
Ingredients: 250 g green or brown lentils, picked over and rinsed; 200 g long-grain white rice, rinsed; 3 large yellow onions, thinly sliced; 90 ml olive oil, divided; 5 g ground cumin; 2 g ground cinnamon; 8 g fine salt, plus black pepper to taste; 240 g plain yogurt for serving, optional; 15 g chopped parsley for garnish

Green lentils and long-grain rice simmer together with cumin, then meet deeply browned onions and a cool spoon of yogurt for a humble, satisfying Levantine table dish.

Levant, Lebanese-style whole grains

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 1 hr 5 min
Total: 1 hr 25 min
Servings: 6

Levantine lentils and rice topped with crisp caramelized onions and parsley — **Real finished-dish photograph**Photograph by BazelSource page · Original file · CC BY-SA 3.0Cropped, resized, and compressed by Recipe Nest Vault.

Ingredients

250 g
green or brown lentils, picked over and rinsed
200 g
long-grain white rice, rinsed
3
large yellow onions, thinly sliced
90 ml
olive oil, divided
5 g
ground cumin
2 g
ground cinnamon
8 g
fine salt, plus black pepper to taste
240 g
plain yogurt for serving, optional
15 g
chopped parsley for garnish

Method

01
Start the lentils
Put the lentils in a pot and cover with cool water by several centimetres. Bring to a boil, reduce to a steady simmer, and cook until nearly tender; drain and reserve.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
02
Caramelize the onions slowly
Heat half the olive oil in a wide skillet over medium heat. Add the onions with a pinch of salt and cook, stirring regularly, until deeply golden and soft; lower the heat if the edges darken too fast.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
03
Toast the spices and rice
Transfer most onions to a plate. Add the remaining oil, cumin and cinnamon to the skillet and stir briefly until fragrant. Add rice and stir so each grain is coated.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
04
Simmer rice and lentils together
Stir the lentils into the rice. Add measured hot water to just cover the grains, season with salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
05
Rest and fluff
Turn off the heat and keep covered for 10 minutes. Fluff gently with a fork so lentils stay whole, then fold in some of the browned onions.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
06
Top and serve
Pile the remaining crispy onions over the platter. Garnish with parsley and serve with cool yogurt and cucumber salad.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph

Practical notes

Tips

Cook the lentils until just tender before adding rice so both grains finish together without turning mushy.
Let the rice rest covered after cooking, then fluff gently before adding the crisp onions.

Common mistakes

Adding all the water without checking the lentils can overcook the rice while the pulses are still firm.
Stirring repeatedly after the rice is covered breaks the grains and releases starch.

Substitutions

Fine bulgur can replace rice in some Levantine mujadara styles; follow its shorter cooking time and liquid needs.
Brown basmati may replace white long-grain rice, but add more cooking liquid and time according to the package.

Storage

Cool promptly and refrigerate within 2 hours at 0–4°C; use within 3 days and reheat until steaming throughout.

Cultural context

Mujadara names a family of Levantine lentil-and-grain dishes, and rice, bulgur, lentil type and texture vary by household and place. This Lebanese-style version keeps whole lentils and rice distinct beneath crisp onions.

Sources and photo credit

This standardized method was independently rewritten after cross-checking the references below. Recipe Nest Vault does not claim that the credited photographer cooked from this exact version.

Recipe references

Mujaddara.jpg — Photograph by Bazel; CC BY-SA 3.0.

Step illustrations: Original illustrations created by Recipe Nest Vault with OpenAI image_gen.

Back to Middle Eastern recipes

Lebanese Mujadara with Crispy Onions

Ingredients

Method

Start the lentils

Caramelize the onions slowly

Toast the spices and rice

Simmer rice and lentils together

Rest and fluff

Top and serve

Sources and photo credit

Recipe references

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