- 3 cups lentils, uncooked
- 1 cup brown rice, uncooked
- 1/4 cup raw apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, or whey
- 8 to 12 cups filtered water
- 2 large onions, sliced
- 4 T extra virgin olive oil (or other cooking fat, such as tallow or coconut oil)
- salt and pepper to taste
- optional: cinnamon to taste
Put lentils, brown rice, water, and apple cider vinegar in a 8 to 9 quart stock pot. Let soak overnight, or at least 7 hours.
Drain and rinse – this is optional, but capture and measure water if so, adding back the same amount of fresh water to the pot. Add salt. Bring all to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until tender, about 30 to 40 minutes.
Meanwhile, brown onions in oil over medium to medium/low heat. Continue browning until onions are very brown, soft and carmelized, 20 to 30 minutes. Turn off heat. Blend in blender until smooth (preferred method) or mash lightly with potato masher.
When lentils and rice are tender, add mashed or pureed onions. Cook for 5 minutes over low heat, stirring occasionally to prevent burning or sticking. Season with salt, pepper, and cinnamon to taste.
Optional: Cook the rice and lentils in broth by draining the water, catching it and measuring it. Add broth in the same amount as drained water.
Note: There shouldn’t be remaining water. If there is, let the pot simmer with the lid off to allow the excess water to evaporate.
Low Vitamin A variation: Use avocado oil or refined coconut oil instead of extra virgin olive oil. Omit pepper and cinnamon.
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Hi Wardee
do you have a recipe for the arabic rice with the meat in it? Let me know. All your recipes are wonderful
Hi, Monica. I was out all day yesterday, so I hope I’m not too late to answer your question. The recipe I have is for the white rice with lamb meat and pine nuts in it. I’ll type it here for you.
If you want to substitute brown rice, which is what I would do, use about 4-1/2 cups water or broth, and let it simmer, covered, for about 50 minutes or until tender.
Arabic Rice Stuffing
from “Sahtein”, A Middle East cookbook
2 cups rice
2 pounds lean ground lamb, cubed small
1/2 cup pine nuts, browned
salt, pepper and allspice to taste
Brown meat lightly in oil. Add rice and stir well for 2 minutes while cooking over medium heat. Add seasonings. Stir another minute and add about 3-1/2 cups boiling water or lamb broth.
Simmer uncovered for about 5 minutes. Then cover tightly and simmer for 10 minutes. Add pine nuts. Stuff the fowl, lamb or veal pocket to be roasted.
If stuffing is to be served separately, simmer it longer until the rice is very tender.
8 cups of water? It was so soupy when finished. Is that a misprint or do you like it soupy? When I’ve had it at a restaurant there was no water left when finished. Thank you!
Ellen
Ellen,
The recipe really does call for alot of water because it gets cooked until quite soft. If there is still too much water, let it simmer with the lid off to let the water steam away. You’re right though, there shouldn’t be water when finished.
Middle Eastern recipes are known for not being too precise 😉 , so if you make it again, use your own judgment. I prefer to use 7 to 8 cups of water for this dish and let it cook the final bit with the lid off. I’ll add that note to the recipe to update it.
I appreciate you taking the time to write and let me know that yours ended up soupy. I hope you were able to enjoy it nonetheless!
I would like to try some of your recipes. Could you give me some serving suggestions? What to accompany a dish like this? Also how many will this serve?
Thanks so much!
Marg
Hi, Marg! For this particular dish to feed my family of 5, I would triple it. That would give us leftovers for a day or two, or for freezing. I will tell you the authentic way to serve this dish. It is served with a green salad that is tossed in olive oil, lemon juice, salt & pepper. And also, plain cold yogurt is served. All three are served on the same plate, and one takes bites with bits of it all. Ooooh, yummy! When we eat mujederah, I wish we still were eating yogurt.
Many times I serve this alongside Arabic meatballs or a roast. It can be the main dish, or a side dish. If it is a side dish, I choose a simple meat for the main dish, such as the meatballs. Even baked salmon would be good. Then a salad and bread, too.
I hope this helps. Please do let me know if I haven’t answered properly.
Yes, this helps! Thanks so much!
Hi Wardee!
I have had this dish before, but am making it for the first time myself, using your recipe. I want to know how you pronounce it- especially which syllables to accent. I have seen it spelled several other ways, all similar, but never just like this. Thanks!
gabrielle
Oh, Gabrielle! I hope this lives up to your memories! I can promise that it is authentic. 😀 I hope you like it. I’m kind of on pins and needles hoping… How to pronounce it? I might have to call you to make sure I convey it correctly, but here’s a try:
moo (with the ‘oo’ same sound as in ‘cook’) jeh dur uh. Stress the jeh. moo-JEH-dur-uh. You can also say mm-JEH-dur-uh.
PS- I have also heard it referred to as “Middle Eastern pottage”, and this always makes me think of the lentil stew Esau sold his birthright for!
I’m glad I asked as I have been calling it moo-JAW-der-uh or moo-juh-DAHR-uh. I did guess about the mm sound, though, based on various spellings I’ve seen!
We liked it. Like Ellen, above, mine was far too soupy. I did take the lid off, and cooked it longer waiting for it to reduce, but after 70-80 minutes I just served it as a soup.
I will toy with the recipe, especially the measurements, because we were expecting (and would prefer) something drier to be eaten on a plate with a fork… and I need to add more onions for sure. I had small ones and used 3, but we love caramelized onions so I will definitely use more volume next time.
It wasn’t super flavorful… my family tends to love spiciness of every variety… so I may add a little nutmeg, allspice, or cinnamon which I seem to remember having tasted in it before. But first I will adjust the other ingredients as I know that the excess water diluted the salt, pepper, and onion flavors!
But it was definitely a success. We were sad that there wasn’t quite enough leftover for all four of us to lunch on!
I always talk and write too much! But I know I love feedback about my recipes, and you asked. Next time I make this, I am going to try out a recipe for fattoush (which I have never made OR eaten)to compliment our meal.
PS- my kids always love yogurt sauces with greek foods, so I bought some Nancy’s plain yogurt. I know this isn’t the same type eaten in much of europe and asia, but we thought we’d try it out. Did you just put it on top of the mudjadareh? We stirred dollops into our ‘soup’ and it was good, but I think I liked it just as well without. I am thinking that it would go nicely with the yogurt and some veggies in a pita sandwich.
Thanks again!
gab
I love mujadarra- I discovered it while living abroad. I almost always add 1 teaspoon cumin powder and 1 teaspoon curry powder, as well as minced or powdered garlic. i season generously with salt and pepper. i serve i with pitas (to break off and use to “scoop”) and plain yogurt- and the carmelized onions on top are crucial. i love to use red lentils, whichncook quicker and are softer- the end result resembles refried beans, but is sooo yummy!
I know this is an older recipe, but I have made this many times and poured it over a serving of tabbouleh salad. The combination is outstanding!
Is there an instant pot variation? I’m looking forward to trying this!