{"id":25112,"date":"2023-04-16T22:55:49","date_gmt":"2023-04-17T05:55:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nourishdeliciously.com\/?p=25112"},"modified":"2025-04-25T11:08:36","modified_gmt":"2025-04-25T18:08:36","slug":"lentils-rice-pilaf-with-caramelized-onions-mujadara","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nourishdeliciously.com\/?p=25112","title":{"rendered":"Lentils & Rice Pilaf with Caramelized Onions (Mujadara)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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A delicious, aromatic, hearty, lentil-rice pilaf with caramelized onions and delicate spices. This pilaf is called Mujadara\u2019<\/em> and is enjoyed all across the Levantine region. Its vegan, making it an excellent week night meal or part of your weekly meal prep or can be part of your holiday celebratory dining.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ingredient Highlights<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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  1. Lentils:<\/strong> I used green lentil<\/a> (affiliate links) <\/em>for this one. You don’t need to soak the lentils as this cooks fast. Rinse and add them to a small saucepan along with water, cook the lentils for 15-18 minutes or until they\u2019re almost cooked through, but with a little firmness. Older lentils may take more time to cook than if you\u2019ve just purchased them recently.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Rice:<\/strong> I highly recommend using good quality basmati rice. My favorite brand for basmati rice<\/a>  (affiliate link)<\/em> it\u2019s the most fragrant and has consistently perfect texture, but use what’s available at your store. Rinse and soak the rice for about 20 minutes in cold water.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Caramelized Onions:<\/strong> take your time to caramelize the onions, its key to the dish. You\u2019ll need 2-3 medium-largish onions for this recipe, slice them as thinly as possible, about 1\/4 of an inch in thickness. Use good quality e.v olive oil <\/a>(affiliate link) <\/em>to fry the onions, it makes all the difference. Also, set aside a good 30 minutes to pay full attention to the onions, they\u2019ll take in the ballpark of 20 minutes and you\u2019ll need to stir them quite frequently during the last 10 minutes so don\u2019t go too far. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Spices:<\/strong> We\u2019re using all spice, cinnamom, cumin, coriander, and a little turmeric in this recipe and the combination of these spices along with the caramelized onions is insane. <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
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    What To Serve with Mujadara<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Mujadara is complete meal in itself, a stand alone dish. I find pairing it with a fresh salad like Shirazi, or something as simple as fresh tomatoes, cucumber onions relish is also wonderful. Try it with a scoop of plain greek yogurt or if want a little extra Tzatziki<\/a>. I have served it as part of a larger meal to feed a crowd with babaganoush,<\/a> Mediterranean style chicken kebabs <\/a>and other fixings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I don’t have a recipe for Shirazi salad on my blog as yet, but its as simple as combining chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions with a couple glugs of extra virgin olive oil+ a squeeze of lemon juice, sumac, a pinch of salt, pepper, + mint or parsley if I\u2019ve got it on hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Lentil & Rice Pilaf with Caramelized Onions ~Mujadara<\/h2>\n
    <\/div>\n<\/span>Meera<\/span><\/span>\n
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    A delicious, aromatic, hearty, lentil-rice pilaf with caramelized onions and delicate spices. This pilaf is called\u00a0Mujadara\u2019<\/em>\u00a0and is enjoyed all across the Levantine region.<\/span><\/div>\n
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