Look up “mujaddara” and you’ll find several variations on the spelling including “mujadera,” “mejadra,” and “mujadra.” But they all refer to the same thing – rice cooked with a grain, like lentils, with sauteed onion. Here, writer Emily Tratter introduces us to the Middle Eastern meal staple that can be made using a rice cooker for convenience. I throw in my family’s stovetop lentils and rice recipe too, for good measure.

Lentils are commonly used in Mujaddera recipes. Photo courtesy Pixabay.com.

Mujaddara: History, Traditions, and Preparation

Food is one of the best ways to experience a country’s culture. Whether it be individual ingredients or dishes that come together from these ingredients, these are reflective of the melting pot of histories, backgrounds, and traditions of a certain country. Farro, for instance, has been adapted in contemporary and continental cuisine, but it actually has roots in ancient cuisines like that of Mesopotamia. Mesopotamian cuisine is now modernly understood as Iraqi cuisine.

Ancient Origins of the Lentils and Rice Recipe

Iraqi cuisine has been preserved over time, and one of its most popular dishes is Mujaddara. The earliest recording of this classic dish dates back to 1226 in the Kitab Al-Tabikh cookbook. Although it has been labeled a poor man’s dish because of its humble base of rice, lentils, and onions, the Mujadara recipe is nonetheless delicious and satisfying. It is also said to have Biblical origins, specifically the Old Testament or Torah. Esau, the twin brother of Jacob and son of Isaac, exchanged his birthright for this “mess of pottage” which was interpreted as Mujaddara.

Lentils and Rice Recipes for the Modern Palate

Mujaddara continues to be enjoyed today as it features inexpensive ingredients you probably have on hand. Iit’s healthy, can be made in big batches, keeps well, and can be adjusted to suit your needs and taste buds – all of which are important to today’s generation of home cooks. It’s the perfect thing to make nowadays and will keep you nourished while feeling warm and cozy.

Preparing rice-based dishes can be quick and easy with many becoming a household staple due to their flexibility. Mujaddara, aka, Mejadara, need not be intimidating nor difficult with the proper appliances like rice cookers which do the hard part for you.The Zojirushi Neuro Fuzzy makes flawless rice every time and keeps the grains warm until you are ready to use them. While waiting, you can get all your other ingredients in order. This recipe, featured on The Christian Science Monitor and adapted from Recipes from the Root Cellar simplifies the process:

Mujaddara Recipe: Rice Cooker Version

Ingredients:

1 cup of lentils
1 cup of rice or grains
3 onions, chopped
3 TBS of olive oil
Water
Cumin and cinnamon
Salt
Pepper
Flat-leaf parsley – for garnish

Method:

Once your rice has been cooked, set it aside. You can then rinse and soak the lentils for ten minutes before transferring them to a pot and covering them with cold water up to 3 inches. Once they have been brought to a boil, lower the temperature and partly cover the pot until the lentils are tender, which usually takes about 25 minutes. When you remove the lentils from the pot, rinse them again with hot water before draining. In the meantime, sauté onions with olive oil for roughly 10 minutes until they are caramelized. Combine your cooked rice, lentils, and onions in a bowl and season with salt, pepper, cumin, and cinnamon for an added kick.

There’s no better time to make this simple, nutritious, and flavorful dish than now. Make your own tweaks and additions based on what you have on hand and serve it with salad or yogurt. You may soon find it on rotation on your own dining tables!

The stovetop version. Photo by Courtney Drake-McDonough.

Hungry for more? Learn about Koshari, a similar lentils- and rice-based dish from Egypt.

Mujaddara Lentils and Rice Recipe: Stovetop Version

Editor’s note: Although it’s easy to use a rice cooker, and the chances of having perfectly cooked rice go way up with one, the dish can also be made without one, on the stovetop.

Ingredients:

2/3 cup brown lentils
2 cups short grain rice
1 onion, chopped (I prefer less than the recipe above)
6 TBS oil
Water
1/4 – 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon (optional)
1/4 – 1/2  tsp. ground cumin (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Fill a large pot about 3/4 full with water. Add some salt bring to a boil.

Add the lentils at a gentle boil for 20 minutes (set a timer to avoid over-cooking them).

While the lentils are cooking, saute the onion in the olive oil to the point of being translucent, in a small frying pan and set aside.

After the lentils have cooked for 20 minutes, add the rice and let the water return to a boil. Let the lentils and rice cook together until just before the rice is done.

At that point, reheat the onions and oil.

Empty the pot of lentils and rice and water into a colander (with holes that won’t allow the grains to slip through) to drain off ALL of the water. Pour the lentils and rice back into the pot and add the onions and oil. Mix thoroughly but gently.

It’s at this point that you can add the cinnamon and cumin if you wish. My family never did but when I tried this recipe, I found the spices to be a welcome addition.

My family liked to top their lentils and rice recipe with a dollop of thick, plain yogurt or even yogurt mixed with diced and seeded cucumber and a crumble of dried mint mixed in. The cool yogurt and hot rice with Mujaddara together were delicious.

Hungry for more? You’ll enjoy this article about the Olive Trail in Jordan where you’ll see another version of Mujaddara made with lentils and bulgar wheat. And this recipe for roast leg of lamb would go nicely with lentils and rice.

Pin these recipes to Pinterest so you can make them for dinner, soon.

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