Dina's Kitchen

Lebanese Recipes

Mdardara – Lentils and Rice with Caramelised Onions

If you grew up in a Lebanese family like me, this dish would be your all time favourite; I have no doubt about that! The smell of caramelized onions in your kitchen will always bring you back in time, to those meatless Fridays and Wednesdays, or to the Lent period, observed by most Christians in Lebanon.

Mdardara, also known as mjaddara, is lentil and rice, cooked together with olive oil, salt and pepper, and garnished with caramelized onions. Serve it with a crisp mixed salad tossed in a lemony garlicky dressing, like Fattoush, for instance, and you will be hooked forever.

You can use green or brown lentils, and long-grain white rice to prepare your mdardara. The cooking time for the lentils might vary depending on the quality of the lentils; I have noticed that the lentils used in Lebanon require more time (hence a bit more water) to become tender, compared to the lentils we have here in Germany. As for the rice, I opted for Parboiled rice to avoid getting a mushy result. A perfect mdardara has fluffy rice and lentils, and does not stick together.

Make it just once, and you will be craving this hearty and simple dish very often.

Your ingredients
Cook lentils in water; never add salt at this point
Meanwhile caramelise the onions
Remove onto a paper towel preserving the oil
Add oil and rinsed rice to the lentils which should be al dente
Add salt and pepper at this point too and cook covered
Mdardara is ready when water is almost evaporated. Let stand 1o minutes

Sahtein!

Mdardara – Lentils and Rice with Caramelised Onions

Dina Bayoud-Kohl
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Main Course
Cuisine Lebanese
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 200 g green lentils picked and rinsed several times, drained
  • 900 ml cold water
  • 400 g onions peeled, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced into half-moon shapes
  • 125 ml extra-virgin olive oil
  • 150 g Parboiled rice rinsed and drained
  • 1 ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions
 

  • Add the lentils and water to a medium pot. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Then turn the heat down and simmer for about 20 minutes. The lentils should be half-cooked at this point.
  • In the meantime, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat, and sauté the onions, for about 15 minutes, or until they become brown and caramelized, stirring often. Remove the onions with a slotted spoon onto a plate. Set the pan with the oil aside for later use.
  • Add the rice, oil, salt and pepper to the lentils. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes until all the water is absorbed. Set aside to rest for 10 minutes.
  • Transfer mdardara onto a serving platter and garnish the top with the onions. Serve warm or cold with a mixed salad of your choice.

Notes

All images and text © Dina Bayoud Kohl for Dina’s Kitchen

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