Mujadarra is so underrated! It is so easy to prepare, using pantry staples and hardly takes much time to prepare.

During the lockdown, I asked my other half,”What is your comfort food?”. By this point, we’d been married for 4 years and I had no clue. “Mujadarra. It reminds me of my childhood,” he said. So, I did some research, had a go at it and there it was, our household weekly staple!

The only “tough” part is the caramelisation of the onions, which requires constant stirring or the slices would be burnt. But the result is always worth it.

It was easy doing this in Germany because the weather hardly played a part in what I wanted to cook. But last year, when I was pregnant with the twins and craved for this, I struggled with it because the heat from the gas stove made the stirring a lot tougher. I don’t have a gas stove anymore and I have a fan in the kitchen so it has made cooking in this tropical heat so much more pleasant.

The onions really elevates the dish. Using store-bought fried shallots is one way if you are really pressed for time but honestly, caramelising the onions on your own is something else.

Have a go at it!

Recipe

3 med onions (sliced)
1 cup brown lentils (rinsed)
1 cup rice, rinsed and soaked
2 cups water
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp black pepper
6 tbsp olive oil

Start by caramelising the onion slices with a little salt and olive oil, over medium high heat since this takes some time. Then, boil the rinsed lentils with 2 cups of water. Careful to not overcook the lentils or they will end up mushy!

Once the lentils are cooked, sieve them (don’t throw the water away!). In a pot, add the lentils and rice. Measure 2 cups of water (including the water remaining from boiling the lentils). Add salt, pepper and ground cumin and leave it to boil. Once boiled, lower the heat and leave it to cook. This should take about 15-20 mins. Once done, use a fork to gently mix the caramelised onion slices into the rice.

Serve with a side of salad and Tzatziki sauce.

Below is the video of how I made Mujadarra, the Scharfelicious way. Subscribe to Scharfelicious’ YouTube channel for more!

Got a kraving from some Krapfen? Or rather, Bombolini? Try this recipe.