Lentil Onion Rice (Printable Recipe)
Earthy lentils, soft rice, and slow-cooked sweet onions come together for a cozy Middle Eastern favorite.
# Ingredients You'll Need:
→ Main
01 -
Two tablespoons olive oil
02 -
300 g brown or green lentils, rinsed well
03 -
One tablespoon veggie bouillon powder
04 -
Two bay leaves
05 -
500 g onions, sliced up nice and thin—go with red, yellow, or mix it up
06 -
One and a half teaspoons salt, keep some aside
07 -
Black pepper, just throw in as much as you like
08 -
180 g white or brown rice, give it a rinse
09 -
A teaspoon ground cumin
10 -
Five to five and a half cups water, use as you need
# Steps to Follow:
01 -
Want to use white rice? Cook your soaked lentils first. Add bouillon, salt, black pepper, bay leaves, and 700 ml water—pop the lid on for 7 to 10 minutes. Drop in your drained white rice and another 480 ml water. Bring back to a boil, cover it up again, and turn down the heat for 18 to 20 minutes, or whenever both are soft. If it looks too wet, just pour off any extra water.
02 -
Spoon mujadara into bowls. Cover each one with your leftover caramelized onions. Want to jazz it up? Add some dairy-free yogurt or sprinkle chopped cilantro or parsley on top.
03 -
Grab those bay leaves and toss them out. Mix about two-thirds of the sweet onions into your lentil and rice pot—leave the rest for later.
04 -
See if your lentils and rice are soft. If they’re not, simmer with the lid off a few minutes more. Turn off the heat. Let it sit covered for a bit to finish up.
05 -
Grab a big pan and get olive oil hot on medium heat. Toss in all your sliced onions. Cover and let them cook for about 10 minutes, stirring now and then. Take the lid off, mix in the cumin and what’s left of the salt. Keep them going, uncovered, for another 5 to 10 minutes. Stir a lot, so they get really golden brown—turn the heat up or down to get them crisp how you like.
06 -
After 20 minutes, dump the drained lentils and about 700 ml water in with your rice. Stir it around, put the lid back on, and bring it all to a boil. Lower the heat and let it bubble away for 25 minutes.
07 -
As the rice cooks, slice all the onions real thin and set them aside for frying.
08 -
While your rice is working, leave the lentils in cold water for a 20-minute soak. Drain them after.
09 -
Pop the soaked brown rice and 600 ml water into a big pot and let it come to a boil. Add your bouillon powder, a teaspoon of salt, black pepper, and bay leaves. Pop the lid on, lower the heat, and let it gently cook for 20 minutes.
10 -
Rinse both rice and lentils. Got brown rice? Soak it alone for 20 minutes, drain it. If using white rice, soak rice and lentils separately for the same time, then drain.
# Extra Tips:
01 -
Green or brown lentils work best here—if you use yellow or red, everything just turns mushy.
02 -
Check your rice packaging for water and time since types can cook a bit differently.
03 -
Prep time doesn’t cover any soaking—you might go a bit longer if you let things sit.