Levantine Mujadara with Lentils, Bulgur and Crisp Onions
Mujadara is brown lentils simmered until nearly done, then coarse bulgur and water added at one and a half cups per cup of bulgur, and cooked for twenty minutes. The crisp onions fried in olive oil are what give the dish its entire flavour.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Total
- 60 min
- Calories
- 380
Photo: Bazel — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Mujadara is the cheapest filling meal in Levantine cooking and the classic fasting dish. Its secret is very simple: a lot of onion, fried slowly until deep brown — all the flavour comes from that one step.
Method
-
1
Fry the onions
Heat the olive oil and fry the sliced onion over medium heat, stirring, until deep brown and crisp — fifteen to twenty minutes. Lift two-thirds onto kitchen paper for the garnish and leave the rest in the oil.
⏱ 20 min -
2
Cook the lentils
Rinse the lentils and simmer them until nearly done but still holding their shape, about twenty minutes.
⏱ 20 min -
3
Add the bulgur
Add the rinsed bulgur to the lentils along with the onion oil and the onions still in it, plus the cumin, salt and pepper. Adjust the water so it covers by a centimetre.
-
4
Cooking
Cover and cook on the lowest heat for twenty minutes, until the bulgur is done and the liquid has gone. Take it off and leave it covered for ten minutes before fluffing.
⏱ 20 min -
5
Serving
Fluff gently with a fork and top with the crisp onions. Serve warm or cold with yoghurt or a cucumber-yoghurt salad.
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Tips that actually matter
- The onions need to reach deep brown, not golden — that's what gives mujadara its colour and flavour.
- Don't stir the mujadara while it cooks; stirring breaks the lentils down.
- With rice instead of bulgur it becomes 'mujadara with rice' — same method, but a cup and a half of water per cup of rice.
People also ask
What's the difference between mujadara and mudardara?
In mujadara the lentils hold their shape and the grains stay separate; mudardara is cooked further until the lentils break down into a creamy texture.
My mujadara came out dry.
Not enough water. Add half a cup of hot water, cover, and give it another ten minutes on low heat.
How long does it keep?
Three days in the fridge, and it improves overnight. Reheat with a splash of water to bring the texture back.
Cook mode
Levantine Mujadara with Lentils, Bulgur and Crisp Onions
-
1
Fry the onions
Heat the olive oil and fry the sliced onion over medium heat, stirring, until deep brown and crisp — fifteen to twenty minutes. Lift two-thirds onto kitchen paper for the garnish and leave the rest in the oil.
-
2
Cook the lentils
Rinse the lentils and simmer them until nearly done but still holding their shape, about twenty minutes.
-
3
Add the bulgur
Add the rinsed bulgur to the lentils along with the onion oil and the onions still in it, plus the cumin, salt and pepper. Adjust the water so it covers by a centimetre.
-
4
Cooking
Cover and cook on the lowest heat for twenty minutes, until the bulgur is done and the liquid has gone. Take it off and leave it covered for ten minutes before fluffing.
-
5
Serving
Fluff gently with a fork and top with the crisp onions. Serve warm or cold with yoghurt or a cucumber-yoghurt salad.
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