Mujadara aka Lentils with Bulgur and Caramelized Onions
Updated: Oct 29, 2023
It's my duty to provide you guys with some authentic Arab recipes. This is my all-time favorite Levantine dish called Mujadara (Moo-Ja-Da-Ra). If you don't know what Mujadara is, it is simply a grain bowl made of lentils, bulgur, and onions. It’s the meal of the poor because it only consists of 3 ingredients. Yet, even though it’s considered a “poor” meal, the poor in the Syria were usually considered the healthiest because they lived off their own produce and ate MANY healthy grains like bulgur wheat.
Bulgur is the hidden gem of the Middle East. It contains 30% of our dietary fiber, it’s the lowest in calories of any other grains, promotes heart health, and promotes the growth of healthy gut bacteria! I LOVE to eat mujadara alone but I also tend to make a simple salad next to it. Arabs generally eat mujadara with plain yogurt as well if you would like to try that. Mujadara can also be a base for a bowl like quinoa! It’s super versatile and honestly my best friend. Let me show you how to make it!
Yields: 4
Portion: 1 bowl
Prep time: 10 minutes
Total time: 40-50 minutes
This recipe is dairy free and vegan.
Ingredients:
1 cup of lentils
1 TBSP of salt
2 cups of bulgur
Extra virgin olive oil
¼ onion
Instructions:
1. In a medium-sized pot, add 1 cup of lentils and fill the pot halfway with water.
2. Add 1 TBSP of salt. Cook on medium heat for 10-12 minutes until the lentils are softer but not TOO soft because they still need to cook with the bulgur.
3. Remove any brown residue that surfaces (that’s dirt from the lentils).
4. In the same pot, add 2 cups of bulgur and add water half way and cook for 10 minutes.
5. Add 1 TBSP of salt. To know if the mujadara is done cooking, there will be no more water left - it won't be dried up but there will be no more water. Now, turn the stove to low heat.
6. Next, chop up 1/4 of an onion into strips, julienne.
7. In a frying pan add enough olive oil so that the onions are fully submerged. Let them shallow fry until they are completely brown. You are caramelizing the onions. Add them onto the mujadara in the pot and turn the heat off. Let it cool for 5-10 minutes and then serve. Enjoy!
I hope you love this recipe as much as I did, so if you do, please leave me a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! I always read through my suggestions and comments, so please let me know your thoughts. If you have any questions you can feel free to DM me here or through Instagram. Speaking of Instagram - please tag me in all of your creations! I love seeing how the recipes come out and seeing how talented you all are. Sending my love.
Comments