Mujadara
مجدرة
Lentils, rice and a scandal of fried onion — the cheap pot that tastes like a house.
Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen. Native name preserved: مجدرة.
0 people cooked this in the public kitchen yet. Kitchen-tested by I Want Some Food. Not a purchased rating.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Total
- 1 hr
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spice
- No chilli
- Cost
- Cheap nightUnder $8 USD · indicative, not a store price
About
Mujadara is lentils and rice (or bulgur) cooked together and buried under onions fried until they are sweet and dark. Cumin. Yoghurt on the side. It should not be a bland beige pile. The onions are half the dish.
Ingredients
Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.
Steps
Step 1
Fry two-thirds of the onion in oil until deep brown, 15–20 minutes. Lift out. Do not rush this.
20 minStep 2
In the same pot, soften remaining onion, add lentils, water and cumin. Simmer 15 minutes. Add rice and salt. Cook until both are tender.
30 minStep 3
Pile the fried onions on top. Yoghurt, a salad.
Adapt this recipe
The canonical recipe stays intact. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are maths, not AI.
Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 24 August.
Substitutions
Olive oil → A neutral oil
Less perfume.
Tips
- Bulgur instead of rice is a mountain version.
- The onions should be past gold and into mahogany.
History & culture
Lenten tables, student kitchens, and the pot you make when meat is not the point.
A Levantine pulse-and-grain plate. The name is the lentils.
Traditional
Provenance: Editorial adaptation. Original editorial adaptation for I Want Some Food. Not copied from another recipe site. Official recipe photography is pending. Photograph: Daderot via Openverse (cc0 1.0). https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=166224826
Questions about this recipe
Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips — not a chatbot.
How long does Mujadara take?
1 hr all in — 15 min prep, 45 min cook. That is the time on this recipe, not a guess.
How many does it serve?
The recipe is written for 4 pots. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.
How hard is it?
Easy.
How spicy is it?
No chilli.
What allergens should I watch?
This recipe is labelled for Milk. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.
Does it fit a diet?
The published recipe is labelled Vegetarian, Vegan.
What does it cost to cook?
Cheap night — about Under $8 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.
What equipment do I need?
Saucepan, Frying pan.
How much salt do I put in?
The recipe lists Salt at 1½ tsp.
What can I use instead?
Olive oil → A neutral oil. Less perfume.
Any tips from this recipe?
Bulgur instead of rice is a mountain version. The onions should be past gold and into mahogany.
Can I use an air fryer?
This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.
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