Mujadara

Mujadara is the great peasant dish of the biblical lands: lentils and grain cooked together and crowned with a heap of deeply caramelized onions. It belongs to the same family of food as the lentil stew Esau traded his birthright for - cheap, filling and built on the humble lentil that fed shepherds and farmers across the ancient Near East. Many cooks have called it one of the most comforting plates they know.

The secret is patience with the onions: cooked slow and long until they are dark, sweet and almost crisp, they transform a plain pot of lentils and rice into something rich and savory. It is naturally plant-based, costs very little to make, and reheats beautifully.

Ingredients

• 1 cup brown or green lentils
• 1 cup long-grain rice (or bulgur wheat)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 large onions, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• About 4 cups water

Instructions

1. Simmer the lentils in 3 cups of water for about 15 minutes, until just tender. Drain, reserving the liquid.
2. Meanwhile, cook the sliced onions slowly in the olive oil over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring often, until deep golden and sweet. Set half aside for the topping.
3. Add the rice, cumin and cinnamon to the pan with the remaining onions and stir for 1 minute.
4. Add the lentils and 2 cups of water or reserved liquid. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer on low for 15 minutes, until the rice is tender and the liquid absorbed.
5. Season well, fluff with a fork and pile the reserved caramelized onions on top. Serve warm.

The Story Behind This Recipe

Lentils are among the oldest foods of the Bible, and the most quietly important. They cooked quickly without soaking, kept the body strong through long days of labor, and turned a thick russet as they softened - the very stew that tempted a famished Esau to give up his inheritance. To cook lentils with grain was the natural next step: together they make a complete, sustaining meal from the cheapest of ingredients.

Mujadara carries that ancient economy right onto the modern table. The name simply points to the pockmarked look of the lentils against the rice, but the dish has been loved for centuries precisely because it proves how little you need to eat well. A pot of lentils, a cup of grain, two onions and good oil - and you have a meal fit to feed a whole household.

Nutrition (estimated, per serving)

Per serving	Value
Calories	360
Protein	13g
Carbohydrates	58g
Fat	9g
Fiber	11g

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