Mujadara – Holy Cow Vegan

Mujadara, a easy however beautiful dish of rice and lentils flavored with golden, crisp, caramelized onions, is a basic of Arabic delicacies. My even more healthy however genuine mujadara can be infused with the contemporary and scrumptious goodness of leeks.

Desk of Contents
What’s mujadara?
Mujaddara (additionally known as mudardara or megadarra), is a scrumptious rice and lentil recipe eaten extensively throughout the Arabic world. This one-pot medley of onions, rice and lentils is scrumptious proof that the best of recipes can be probably the most satisfying.
The majority of the flavour in mujadara comes from onions fried to a wealthy, deep, smoky, savory sweetness. When these crispy onions mingle with the tender rice and lentils, they create such magic, your tastebuds will do the tango.
Albeit meatless, a mujaddara is hearty and satisfying and it is a terrific dish to serve to an omnivore.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Scrumptious, one-dish meal. My mujadara recipe has all the things you need in a whole meal: proteins from the rice and lentil mixture, and veggies, together with the onions and leeks.
- Easy and reasonably priced recipe. The three fundamental components on this recipe — rice, lentils and onions — are all simple on the pockets.
- Wholesome. This mujadara is loaded with protein, fiber, and tons of vitamins.
- Soy-free, nut-free, gluten-free and vegan
Elements
- Rice. Use any long-grain white rice, together with jasmine rice or basmati.
- Entire brown lentils. These are nutty and scrumptious and add tons of hearty taste.
- Onions. You’ll need two giant onions for this recipe. I used pink onions however yellow onions are wonderful too.
- Garlic
- Leeks. Though not a standard ingredient, the leeks add wonderful taste and make this mujaddara much more nutritious.
- Spices: Floor cumin, floor allspice, bay leaves, cayenne (optionally available) and cinnamon.
- Additional virgin olive oil
How one can make mujadara

Wash the lentils and place them in a saucepan. Cowl with an inch of water. Deliver to a boil, cowl, decrease warmth to simmer, and let the lentils cook dinner for 8 minutes. As soon as the lentils are semi-tender, flip off the warmth. Drain the lentils earlier than including them to the pot.

In a big saucepan or saute pan, add olive oil together with the thinly sliced onions, a pinch of salt and floor black pepper to style.

Saute the onions over medium warmth, stirring them often, till they’re golden brown and crispy on the edges. Take away the onions with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towels. Put aside.

To the identical saucepan and the remaining oil, add the thinly sliced leeks. Add a pinch of salt and saute till the leeks caramelize and switch brown.

Add the garlic to the saucepan and saute for 30 seconds.

Stir within the spices–ground allspice, floor cumin, bay leaves and cinnamon stick. Combine.

Add the rice to the saucepan and saute for a few minutes till the rice turns barely opaque.

Stir within the cooked, drained lentils.

Add 4 cups water or vegetable inventory to the pan. Deliver to a boil, stir as soon as, then flip warmth right down to low. Cowl and cook dinner 25 minutes. Let the mujadara stand 10 minutes after cooking earlier than you take away the lid. Fluff with a fork earlier than serving.

Variations
- To make this recipe with brown rice, cook dinner the rice individually in a big pot of boiling water with the spices added, till the rice is about 70 p.c performed. Pressure out all of the water earlier than utilizing.
- So as to add extra healthfulness to this recipe, I typically cook dinner the mujaddara with spinach or different quick-cooking greens. To do that, open the pot after the rice and lentils have been cooking for quarter-hour. Unfold 4 cups of leafy greens (chopped if utilizing bigger greens) on high of the mujaddara. Cowl and proceed cooking for 10 extra minutes.
What to serve with mujaddara
There are wholesome greens and lentils and rice within the recipe, so it’s really a whole meal. However it’s also possible to serve the mujaddara with vegan yogurt or vegan labneh.
You too can serve the mujadara with a contemporary, inexperienced salad or this yummy beet salad.
Extra vegan rice recipes
Love this Vegan Mujadara? Try extra vegan rice recipes at Holy Cow Vegan!


Mujadara
Mujadara or Mujaddara is a straightforward however beautiful dish of rice and lentils flavored with golden, crisp, caramelized onions. It’s a basic recipe from Arabic delicacies. My even more healthy however genuine mujadara can be infused with the contemporary and scrumptious goodness of leeks.
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Servings: 8 servings
Energy: 308kcal
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Directions
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Wash the lentils and place them in a saucepan. Cowl with an inch of water. Deliver to a boil, cowl, decrease warmth to simmer, and let the lentils cook dinner for 8 minutes. As soon as the lentils are semi-tender, flip off the warmth. Drain the lentils earlier than including them to the pot.
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In a big saucepan or sauté pan, add olive oil together with the thinly sliced onions, a pinch of salt and floor black pepper to style.
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Saute the onions over medium warmth, stirring them often, till they’re golden brown and crispy on the edges. Take away the onions with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towels. Put aside.
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To the identical saucepan with the remaining oil, add the thinly sliced leeks. Add a pinch of salt and sauté till the leeks caramelize and switch brown.
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Add the garlic to the saucepan and sauté for 30 seconds.
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Stir within the spices–ground allspice, floor cumin, bay leaves and cinnamon stick. Combine.
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Add the rice to the saucepan and saute for a few minutes till the rice turns barely opaque.
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Stir within the cooked, drained lentils. Add 4 cups water or vegetable inventory to the pan. Deliver to a boil, stir as soon as, then flip warmth right down to low. Cowl and cook dinner 25 minutes. Let the mujadara stand 10 minutes after cooking earlier than you take away the lid. Stir within the caramelized onions. Fluff the rice and lentils with a fork earlier than serving.
Recipe notes
- To make this recipe with brown rice, cook dinner the rice individually in a big pot of boiling water with the spices added, till the rice is about 70 p.c performed. Pressure out all of the water earlier than utilizing.
- So as to add extra healthfulness to this recipe, I typically cook dinner the mujaddara with spinach or different quick-cooking greens. To do that, open the pot after the rice and lentils have been cooking for quarter-hour. Unfold 4 cups of leafy greens (chopped if utilizing bigger greens) on high of the mujaddara. Cowl and proceed cooking for 10 extra minutes.
Storage directions
- Refrigerate: You possibly can refrigerate the mujadara for as much as three days.
- Freeze: Freeze the mujadara in an hermetic, freezer-safe container for as much as three months.
- Reheat: Thaw and reheat particular person parts within the microwave, or reheat all the mujadara in an oven-safe pan in a 350-degree Fahrenheit/180-degree Celsius oven.
Vitamin
Energy: 308kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 12g | Fats: 8g | Saturated Fats: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 1g | Monounsaturated Fats: 5g | Sodium: 480mg | Potassium: 472mg | Fiber: 13g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 697IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 4mg