Home / Lebanese Recipes / M’juddarah (Lentils, Rice, and Caramelized Onions)

M’juddarah (Lentils, Rice, and Caramelized Onions)

Liz DellaCroce Avatar

LIZ DELLA CROCE

Updated:

Jump to Recipe


A protein-packed side dish or vegetarian main, m’juddarah is a humble dish of lentils and rice topped with addictively delicious caramelized onions.

m'juddarah

Isn’t it funny how the most simple and basic foods are the often ones we crave most regularly? M’Juddarah, a Lebanese side dish, is exactly that: nothing more than a humble yet satisfying bowl of lentils and rice topped with caramelized onions and maybe a dollop or two of plain yogurt. You can serve it warm, room temperature, or cold out of the refrigerator. My great aunt Vieve would make it often, and it was always served alongside her amazing Middle-Eastern dinner spreads. I learned a lot of Lebanese cuisine in her kitchen, and I love share it with you!  

Ingredients

  • Oil: I like to use olive oil as it’s heart healthy, and blends well flavor wise. But vegetable or canola oil will also get the job done.
  • Onion: A white or yellow onion will give you a delicious mild flavor that caramelizes really well!
  • Lentils: High in protein, and earthy and nutty in flavor, I usually use brown or green lentils, but you could use any color.
  • Rice: Keeping the dish simple and classic, I use white, short-grain rice. But use what you have!

How to Make M’Juddarah

Start your m’juddarah by rinsing your rice and your lentils.

Then in a medium sized pot, hear some oil over medium-high heat and sauté your sliced onion until it becomes a rich, caramel color. Remove and set aside.

Then in the same pot, add the lentils and toast for about a minute.

Then pour in the water. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until the lentils are halfway done, about 15 minutes.

Then add your rice as well as some salt and pepper to taste. Bring back to a boil and stir to combine, then cover with a lid and reduce the heat down to a simmer until fully cooked and liquid is fully absorbed.

Serve your rice and lentils in a bowl before topping with the caramelized onions.

Dolloping yogurt onto m'juddarah.

Top your m’juddarah with plain yogurt and fresh herbs, and enjoy! It’s delicious on its own but I love serving it with beef or chicken for some extra protein!

Frequently Asked Questions:

What does m’juddarah mean?

M’juddarah, or mujaddara, means “pockmarked” since the lentils among the rice resemble pockmarks.

What countries eat mujadara?

Many Middle Eastern countries eat it, including Lebanon, Iraq, and Egypt.

How do you store leftovers?

Keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
M'juddarah (lentils, rice, and caramelized onions)

More Lebanese Dishes

Eat It, Like It, Share it!

Did you try this recipe and like it? The next time you make it, snap a picture and share it to your socials! Tag @thelemonbowl and #thelemonbowl so we can admire and share your dish.

Liz eating m'juddarah

While this dish brings back fond, nostalgic memories for me, I hope that serving it to your family will help you build fond memories of your own around the dinner table. M’juddarah is simple, but delicious, and I know you’ll enjoy it.

Your fork is waiting.

M’Juddarah (Lentils, Rice, and Caramelized Onions)

3.69 stars average
A protein-packed side dish or vegetarian main, this humble dish of lentils and rice is topped with addictively delicious caramelized onions.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Serves4
CourseSide Dish
Calories296

Ingredients
 
 

  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 1 large onion thinly sliced
  • 1 ¾ cups lentils rinsed and sorted
  • 1 cup rice white par-boiled
  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper

Instructions
 

  1. Heat oil in a deep sauce pot over medium heat and sauté onions until translucent and caramelized, 20-25 minutes, stirring frequently. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from pan and set aside.
  2. In the same pan, add lentils and increase heat to medium-high. Toast lentils for 60 seconds then add 6 cups water. Bring pot to a boil then reduce heat to low and simmer until lentils are halfway cooked, about 15 minutes.
  3. Add rice, salt and pepper to the pot and bring mixture to a boil. Stir once, cover with lid, then reduce heat to low. Cook until all liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes.
  4. Fluff lentils and rice with a fork before serving with caramelized onions. Serve with plain yogurt or Lebanese Cucumber Laban if you wish.

Nutrition

Calories: 296kcalCarbohydrates: 49.8gProtein: 7.4gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gSodium: 926mgFiber: 6.1gSugar: 2.5g

Have you tried this?

Let us know how it was!

3.69 from 29 votes (23 ratings without comment)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *






This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.


70 responses to “M’juddarah (Lentils, Rice, and Caramelized Onions)”

  1. Susan Avatar
    Susan

    I may have said this before, but I love that you post Lebanese recipes. I had a Lebanese boyfriend in the distant past, who taught me how to make hummus (and introduced me to pita bread, tahini and string cheese). So the Lebanese version is my gold standard for hummus, and besides that, the food is very tasty. This dish sounds absolutely wonderful, so I’m adding it to my long list of recipes to try.

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Oh I’m so glad you enjoy the Lebanese recipes. I love sharing my family stories!

  2. Christina @ The Beautiful Balance Avatar
    Christina @ The Beautiful Balance

    I just had M’Juddarah last night, what a coincidence! I love finding other Middle Eastern bloggers who post recipes that are such classics. Are you Lebanese as well?

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      No way you did?? Small world! I am technically Syrian but really I’m 4th generation American. :) But yes we love and eat Syrian/Lebanese food all the time!

  3. Carla Avatar
    Carla

    Oh I’ve made this once before! From a cookbook and I had no clue what the end result was supposed to be except lentils and onions haha Yours definitely looked better than mine (and I bet yours may even taste better ;) )

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      That’s so funny!!!! I hope you try it again!

  4. Gaby Avatar
    Gaby

    The stories you have are just as wonderful as your recipes!

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Aww thank you so much Gaby!!

  5. Alyssa (Everyday Maven) Avatar
    Alyssa (Everyday Maven)

    This is one of my favorite middle eastern dishes – I especially love when the onions are charred a bit. Love how your family has such a colorful food history!

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      YES!! My Aunt actually deep fries them. ;) Thank you so much friend!

  6. Rachel Cooks Avatar
    Rachel Cooks

    I want to be Aunt Vieve when I grow up too.

    Also — I found the best Mjadara around here. It’s SO good. I think they fry their onions for the topping. :-P

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      hahah I want to be her too!! Isn’t she so cute? I’m so jealous that you found good m’juddarah!! I’ve tried it in many restaurants and it’s always overly cooked and mushy. The lentils should have a bit of a bite to them still and the rice shouldn’t be too puffy. And yes, they definitely deep fry the onions. :) My Aunt French fries them and they are to die for!!

  7. Cookin Canuck Avatar
    Cookin Canuck

    It sounds as though your great aunt was an amazing woman! And this looks like the perfect bowl of comfort food. Everything is better with caramelized onions!

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      We love eating this with yogurt sprinkled with za’atar…. and pita…and salad… hungry yet? :)

  8. Lauren @ Climbing Grier Mountain Avatar
    Lauren @ Climbing Grier Mountain

    Totally making!!!! Lentils and rice are my jam!

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      PS: You can fry the onions. ;)

  9. Taylor @ Food Faith Fitness Avatar
    Taylor @ Food Faith Fitness

    I LOVE the story behind this recipe almost as much as the recipe itself.
    I was actually thinking I needed to eat more lentils, like, TODAY….how did you know!?
    Pinned!

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      We have been trying to do more meatless meals and 75% of the time, this is what we have. It’s so good – you’d love it and I think the hubs would too. :)

  10. Aggie Avatar
    Aggie

    Oh I love this so much! And I love that pic of your Aunt!! What a great recipe, and I can see why you would crave it. I am craving it right now!

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      I wish I could come make you a batch for your birthday!! xoxo