Mjadra: a delicious rice recipe

Have you ever heard of Mjadra? The name may not sound familiar, but this dish is certainly delicious and extremely easy to make.

Today we are going to learn more about this dish, its origins and how it can be prepared.

Come with us!

What is Mjadra?

Mjadra is an Arabic name, usually pronounced as “muddara”, which in translation means “rice with lentils”.

It is a very well-known and popular dish throughout the world. Middle East, and is composed of rice, lentils and fried onion, and can also be accompanied by roasted or grilled meats.

It is a simple dish, but rich in flavor and nutritional value, it brings a balance of proteins that come from lentils, carbohydrates from rice and a more than special flavor from caramelized onions.

The basic Mjadra recipe involves cooking lentils and rice together, often seasoned with spices, until both are soft and well blended.

Meanwhile, the onions are thinly sliced and caramelized until golden and sweet. Caramelized onions are often used as a topping to add flavor and texture to the dish.

Additionally, it can be seasoned with spices such as cumin, pepper, cinnamon and others to add more intensity to the flavor.

It may not seem like much, but being a rice dish, it is often used as the main dish of a meal, being delicious and very nutritious.

How to prepare?

Now, let's check out how Mjadra can be prepared, starting with the main ingredients:

• 1 glass of rice;
• ¾ onions cut and sliced into long, thin and equal strips;
• 2 glasses of boiled water;
• 1 glass of Lentil common green;
• 1 teaspoon of cumin;
• 2 teaspoons of canola oil or olive oil;
• 1 teaspoon of turmeric or saffron;
• 1 medium bunch of parsley, chopped and without stems;
• 2 teaspoons of salt.

Start by washing the lentils well, leave them in a bowl, covered with water and meanwhile, in another pan, let more water boil.

When the water starts to boil, place the lentils in the pan with hot water and let them cook for 10 minutes. As soon as you finish cooking, discard the water and reserve your lentils, which should be al dente.

In a pan, add olive oil and let it heat for a few seconds, add the cumin, parsley, turmeric and stir for approximately 30 seconds. The idea is that the oil will open up the flavor of the seasonings.

After 30 seconds, add the rice to the pan, and while stirring the pan, let it fry for about two or three minutes. Then add the lentils and salt, and stir well.

Add the water to the pan, stir until the ingredients are incorporated and cover the pan. Let it cook over low heat for at least 20 minutes and then turn off the heat and let it rest for another 10 minutes with the lid closed.

While it is resting, start frying the onions and begin the caramelizing process. And it's a process that takes longer than just sautéing, for example.

Then for 15 minutes you will caramelize the onions, however, never stop stirring the pan as this can end up burning it quickly.

To finish your Mjadra you will have to add the onion to the rice, mix and it will be ready to serve.