Soul-warming Lebanese Mujadara. Mujadara or Middle Eastern-style lentil rice pilaf has been on repeat in our house for the last week and a half. We’re gobbling up bowlfuls of this stuff with whipped yogurt and tons of Salad-e Shirazi. As someone who grew up eating a boatload of brown lentils, till this day it’s one of my favorite comfort dishes. Not only is it loaded with protein, fiber, and nutrition, it’s also such a hearty and comforting meal. When I’m under the weather, most of the time I make brown lentil daal. It’s this quick, garlicky daal tempered with garlic cloves and onions that I serve over rice. Of course, there’s a Pakistani salad to accompany the daal. And if you’re thinking lentils… salad.. rice.. You would be right in thinking that Mujadara is a dish that hits all of my comfort food requirements. This too is loaded with warming spices, tender lentils, and boatloads of crispy fried onions, all served with long grain white basmati rice and you guessed it – a crunchy, lemony salad. Not to mention that it’s naturally dairy and gluten-free. And the best part is that this meal uses mostly pantry staples. So if it’s been a while since you’ve gone grocery shopping, or if you’re snowed in, this mujadara recipe is here to save the day with warming spices, a handful of rice, and some lentils.
Ingredients for Authentic Mujadara Recipe
Okay, let’s walk you through this lentil rice pilaf recipe. It’s not a difficult one, but when we hear things like ‘risotto’ or ‘pilaf’ often some major anxiety kicks in.
How to make Mujadara (aka lentil rice pilaf)
If you like this recipe, you might also like:
Ghormeh Sabzi (Persian Herb Stew)Lebanese Garlic Sauce (Toum)Easy Persian Chicken KebabsChicken Shish TawookBatata Harra (Spicy Lebanese Potatoes)
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I serve my pilaf with a simple Shirazi salad but you could serve this with just about any kind of salad you like!Here are some of the ingredients that may be difficult to find in your area: brown lentils, green lentils, basmati rice, good olive oil.
