I am often asked: which Lebanese recipe is your true go-to, the recipe you would tell anyone they should know--and why? It's tough choosing favorites among favorites, but if I must answer (and I must!), it's Mujadara that rises to the top of the class.
Mujadara is the Lebanese lentil pilaf that is a cornerstone recipe in Lebanese cuisine. I make it most weeks of the year. Why? The dish delivers on every level:
~ High in plant protein and fiber ~ Comes together quickly with pantry staples ~ Incredibly flavorful with deeply caramelized onions ~ Lasts all week to make healthy bowls, wraps, lunch
Scroll down for the Mujadara details, with all of the tips I can muster from having made this dish--like so many of you--a trillion times. Also find the link to my Cabbage Salad, which was missing from an email I sent earlier this week!
The must-have ingredients for mujadara include small brown lentils (not standard green), and coarse bulgur or rice along with good EVOO for drizzling. I prefer bulgur for my mujadara because it delivers so much more nutritional value with protein and fiber than rice. Check out our coarse bulgur and save on all of our Grains + Legumes with code PROTEINPOWER25.
Bless your Mujadara-making hands,
Mujadara Recipe.
My own first tries at mujadara were just ok, producing a mush that still tasted fine but didn't have the pretty pilaf-style I enjoyed from our local Lebanese restaurants. In some areas of Lebanon, mujadara is in fact pureed, so my mush could have passed. My recipe with well-tested ratios and ingredients turns out a pilaf, rather than a mash, every time.
I learned from Aunt Rita to caramelize the onions in neutral oil and finish the dish with olive oil. The onions burn too easily in EVOO. A revelation. I think I can still smell my early learning burnt batches in my hair today. Do get the onions very dark, and some are not as dark, as you can see in this photo. Then, capture that rich brown color by deglazing the onions and pan with what will be the cooking liquid.
Here's information galore about bulgur, my favorite grain for mujadara, pilafs, and salads. Find great bulgur in my shop and save with code PROTEINPOWER25.
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