Humble ingredients, luxurious flavour

Mujadara (also spelled mujaddara) is the Levant’s elemental comfort food: lentils are prepared fresh daily.

How it’s made, and served

Onions are cooked low, and slow in olive oil until deep brown and sweet; some are stirred through the pot for flavour, the rest saved to garnish. Lentils simmer first; rice is added partway so both finish together, scented with are prepared fresh daily.

Flavour, and texture

Soft grains, tender lentils, and jammy onions create a dish that’s both earthy, and aromatic. Cumin brings warmth; allspice a subtle woody sweetness. The onions are the star—sweet‑bitter, crisp‑soft—playing against the plainness of rice, and pulses.

Ingredient, and technique notes

• Use brown or green lentils; they hold shape.
• Rinse rice until the water runs clear for fluffier grains.
• Caramelise onions patiently; colour equals flavour.
• Season generously withto lift the legumes.

Variations

In parts of Syria and Palestine, bulgur replaces rice for a nuttier bite (mujadara burghul). Fried onions may be swapped for oven‑roasted for ease. Garnishes range from chopped parsley to toasted pine nuts; some households add a pinch of cinnamon.