Mudadara
Also known as mujadara or moudardara, mudadara is a humble Lebanese dish made with lentils and rice, and garnished with caramelised-golden onions!
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried black lentils (puy lentils work well)
- 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 1½ tsp ras el hanout (alternatively, use 1.5 tsp of all-spice/ seven-spice)
- ½ cup rice
- 2 tbsp quality olive oil + more for frying
- ½ onion, thinly-sliced.
For Ras el Hanout:
- 1 tbsp sweet paprika
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- ½ tbsp cumin
- ½ tbsp coriander seeds
- ¼ tbsp clove
- ¼ tbsp cardamon
- ½ tbsp salt
- ½ tbsp black pepper
Instructions
To make Ras el Hanout:
- Try and get the spices whole, toast them in a dry pan and blitz it together using a spice grinder or pestle & mortar. Keep in a dry container!
To prepare Mudadara
- Soak the dried lentils in water for 15 minutes.
- Sauté the chopped garlic in the olive oil until fragrant. Add the dried lentils with ½ cups water. Stir in the ras el hanut/ spice mix of choice. Cover with a lid.
- Once the lentils start to boil turn then heat down to medium; leave to simmer for 30 minutes with the lid on, checking regularly and giving it a good stir.
- In another pan, fry the thinly-chopped onion until crisp and caramelised-golden. Set aside on a kitchen towel to absorb the oil.
- After thirty minutes or so, the lentil shells should have broken. Add the rice and a pinch of salt, cooking on low heat for another 15 minutes with the lid on. Note: only add the salt once the lentil shells have broken, as adding salt at the start will prevent the lentils from cooking properly.
- Pro Tip: If the lentils start to burn or stick to the bottom then add a splash of additional water. However try to avoid having to do this, as it makes the lentils mushy.
- When lentils and rice are soft, turn off the heat. Stir in some olive oil and salt and leave the mudadara to steam with the lid on, for 20 minutes.
- Serve hot in a bowl with the fried onions on top and yogurt on the side!
