Lentils and rice under a deep pile of slow-caramelized onions — the Levant’s humble masterpiece.

Where does Mujadara come from?

Mujadara is a Lebanese dish from Beirut, Lebanon.

Can Mujadara be made vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free?

Yes. This Mujadara recipe includes ingredient substitutions to make it vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, or egg-free — including several of those at once, such as gluten-free and dairy-free together.

How long does Mujadara take to make?

About 55 minutes total (10 minutes prep, 45 minutes cooking), serving 4.

Mujadara — a Beirut, Lebanon recipe

Name: Mujadara
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Lebanese
Ingredients: 1 cup brown or green lentils; 3/4 cup long-grain rice; 4 large yellow onions, thinly sliced; 1/2 cup olive oil; 1.5 tsp ground cumin; 1/2 tsp ground allspice; 1 cup plain yogurt, to serve

Asia → 🇱🇧 Lebanon → Beirut

Mujadara

Lebanese · easy · serves 4

prep 10 min · cook 45 min

~428 cal · 18g protein · 77g carbs · 5g fat (estimated, per serving)

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Platter of lentils and rice topped with dark caramelized onions

🇱🇧 Beirut

Mujadara appears in Arabic cookbooks as far back as the 13th century and remains what Lebanese cooks make when the pantry is bare and the family is hungry. The dish stands or falls on one thing: how dark you dare take the onions.

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Make it yours

Toggle a diet and the ingredients rewrite themselves with regional substitutes.

🥕 Vegetarian

🌱 Vegan

🌾 Gluten-Free

🥛 Dairy-Free

🥜 Nut-Free

🥚 Egg-Free

Ingredients

Serves 4 —

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1 cup brown or green lentils

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3/4 cup long-grain rice

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4 large yellow onions, thinly sliced

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1/2 cup olive oil

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1.5 tsp ground cumin

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1/2 tsp ground allspice

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1 cup plain yogurt, to serve

Instructions

1

Cook the onions in the olive oil over medium heat, stirring often, 20–25 minutes, until deep brown and beginning to crisp. Scoop out half for topping.

2

Simmer the lentils in 3 cups water for 12 minutes — tender outside, firm center.

3

Add the rice, cumin, allspice, salt, and the softer half of the onions to the lentils. Top up water to just cover.

4

Cover and cook low 15 minutes, then rest 10 off the heat.

5

Fluff, pile the crispy onions on top, and serve warm or room-temperature with yogurt.

Beirut everyday home cooking.

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🌏 While it simmers — know your destination

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Beirut. The Levant’s table, where lentils and onions become poetry.

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Lebanon. The Levant’s mezze table, generous by definition.

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Asia. From street-cart woks to slow monastery kitchens.

The story behind this dish is up top — worth a read while the pot works.

👩‍🍳

Richard Moore & Kelsey Tucker

Recipes cooked, tested, and researched by the creators of Spin the Globe. How we build our recipes →