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.
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 393kcal
Equipment
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
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
Nutrition
Serving: 200g | Calories: 393kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Sodium: 1338mg | Potassium: 691mg | Fiber: 20g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 22IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 71mg | Iron: 4mg