Mujadara Hamra (Lentils and Bulgur)

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Mujadara Hamra hails from the South of Lebanon. It is a flavorsome dish made from caramelized onions, lentils and bulgur. Accidentally a vegan Lebanese recipe.

cooked lentils and bulgur called mujadara hamra in a white bowl with a salad — a perfectly colored Mujadara hamra

What is Mujadara Hamra?

Mujadara Hamra is part of the mujadara family of recipes which originates from the Middle East, it is especially popular in the Levant region.

The main ingredient in any mujadara is lentils, which is why it is called mujadara which translates from Arabic to English as “pockmarked”.

The Arabic word “hamra” translates to “red” in English. So you see, this is a red mujadara recipe.

This authentic Lebanese mujadara recipe without rice is a Southern Lebanese dish, using bulgur..

What Does Mujadara Hamra Taste Like?

I grew up mostly eating the rice version, but this recipe is equally amazing in flavor, it tastes nothing like the rice version.

Mujadara hamra is unique in flavor, which is from the caramelized onions. The flavor is savory sweet and a little earthy and nutty.

The savory sweetness is from the caramelization of the onions, a rich dark red-brown color that turns sweet and then lentils provide the savoriness when cooked with salt.

It is important to know that a true Mujadara with bulgur gets it’s color and flavor from the onions.

The earthiness and nuttiness are from the cracked wheat.

Ingredients Highlight

The complete list of ingredients with measurements, can be found in the full recipe card below.

brown lentils, olive oil, dark extra coarse bulgur, onion and salt laid out

The Lentils

Brown Lentils some people refer to these as dark red lentils. Avoid using any other types of lentils are the color of these lentils also helps to achieve the color of this dish.

I have taken a photo (see below) illustrating the lentils you should be using to help avoid any confusion.

Always sort your lentils (discard any debris), rinse and soak in water prior to cooking.

two bowls filled with either brown lentils or green lentils

The Bulgur

Extra coarse red or dark cracked bulgur (burghul) results in a nice textured and colored pilaf. If this is a new food to you, do note it does contain gluten.

Avoid using the light-colored coarse bulgur (which I used in this bulgur wheat with vermicelli pilaf) as again, the color of this ingredient is important to achieving the red coloring of the overall dish.

See below the difference between the two types of bulgur I am referring to.

You can buy red bulgur here or at your local Middle Eastern grocer, some larger grocery stores will also sell this ingredient.

two white bowls one with dark extra coarse bulgur and the other with a lighter extra coarse bulgur

Janelle's Tips

Caramelizing The Onions

For the full flavor experience and the right coloring, caramelizing the onions until they reach a deep brown color is essential.

While it does require patience and time, the rich taste it adds makes it completely worth the effort.

Trust me, the end result will be worth every minute spent caramelizing those onions!

The Cookware

Use a heavy bottom nonstick pot - a thin pot will burn the bottom and turn the mjadara mushy. Believe me, I learned the hard way!

Storage

Once the mujadara hamra has cooled down to room temperature, transfer it to an air-tight container and store it in the fridge for up to five days.

Alternatively, freeze it for up to 3 months.

Can I use other colored lentils in Bulgur Mujadara?

It isn't ideal as it will turn out completely different. There are other types of mujadara using red lentils.

Mujadara Recipe - Lebanese and Hamra version — when the lighter color bulgur is used and the onions aren't caramelized enough

Serving Suggestions

Mujadara hamra is always paired with a fresh salad. Lebanese coleslaw or tabbouleh pair perfectly with mjadara hamra.

Here are three other salads I like to rotate with this recipe, this all-rounder salata Arabic, or this Lebanese cucumber and yogurt salad, or this famous Lebanese fattoush as pictured below.

I grew up slurping on soup filled with veggies and lentils known as shorbet adas as a starter to mujadara.

Another fabulous side to enjoy with lentils and burgul are pickles, here's my pickled vegetables recipe that would be perfect for this. I salivate thinking about this meal!

Or here are more mujadara serving suggestions.

mujadara hamra served with other bowls of food

Other Vegan Lebanese Recipes

Some of my childhood favorite meals with lentils include lentils and pasta soup called rishtaya, gosh this soup is so good! The other is my lemon lentil soup, so hearty!

And another burgul recipe is this tomato-based known as burghul bil banadoura.

a spoonful of cooked lentils and bulgur called mujadara hamra in a bowl

Did you make this? I'd love to know! Leave me a comment below with a ★★★★★ star rating or tag @plantbasedfolk on social media.

Recipe

Mujadara Hamra (Lentils and Bulgur)

Mujadara Hamra hails from the South of Lebanon. It is a flavorsome dish made from caramelized onions, lentils and bulgur. Accidentally a vegan Lebanese recipe.

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Lebanese, Mediterranean

Diet: Vegan

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 50

Total Time: 1

Servings: people

Author: Janelle Hama

Ingredients

1 cup Brown lentils see notes
½ cup Extra coarse bulgur
4 medium Onions finely diced
¼ cup Olive oil
4¼ cups Water 3 cups with lentils and 1¼ cups with bulgur. For cooking.
¾ tablespoon Salt or to taste
3 cups Boiling water for soaking

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Preparing Lentils

Check lentils for stones that need to be discarded. Wash and soak in boiling water for at least four hours. You can also soak the brown lentils overnight.
1 cup Brown lentils, 3 cups Boiling water

Caramelize The Onions

Heat the olive oil in a non-stick pot over high- medium heat. Add the finely diced onions and fry for about 25-30 minutes (or until dark brown). See note 1.
¼ cup Olive oil, 4 medium Onions

Simmer The Lentils

Once the onions are dark brown, stir through 3 cups of water and the salt. Let the color of the water change to the color of the onions, this will take a minute or two. Drain the lentils from the water they were soaking in and add them to the onions. Bring the lentils to a soft boil, turn the heat down to medium and allow them to simmer for 30 minutes with the lid on, stirring occasionally. See note 2.
4¼ cups Water, ¾ tablespoon Salt

Add The Extra Coarse Bulgur

Add the rinsed bulgur to the par-cooked lentils and another 1¼ cups of water. Give everything a stir and simmer for another 20 minutes with the lid on or until cooked. Stir twice in the first 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the pot to stand with the lid on for 5 minutes so the steam is absorbed by the bulgur. Mujdara hamra should not be mushy. Serve warm or cold with salad, see suggestions above.
½ cup Extra coarse bulgur

Video

Notes

Note 1 - The trick with caramelizing onions to get that super dark brown tinge is to be patient, this is the longest step. In the beginning, you can stir every few minutes, but once the onions start to brown you will need to continuously stir them until the right color is achieved, otherwise, they will burn.

Note 2 - the lentils will now be par-cooked, soft on the outside and still hard on the inside.

Total time doesn't take into consideration soaking time.

You might also like this Mujadara makhbousa which is a lentil porridge