This deeply flavorful, earthy dish of rice, lentils, caramelized onions and spices can be found at Lebanese market stalls and restaurants in Paris and is easy to make at home. The ingredients are cooked separately, spices are added and everything is combined at the end, with more fried onions on top. I’ve served it twice recently — with shawarma chicken and with roast quail — and am happy to report that my guests thoroughly enjoyed it.
Moudardara / Rice with lentils and fried onion
Although the version I’ve seen in Paris is Lebanese, moudardara is popular across the eastern Mediterranean. It comes in many variations — different types of lentils, differents types of grain (sometimes bulgur is used instead of rice) — and has a cousin, moujadara, that consists primarily of lentils. It is often served topped with yogurt. An Egyptian version called kushari includes vermicelli and is topped with tomato sauce.
One of the mysteries of making Lebanese-style moudardara is the essential addition of the ‘Lebanese seven spice mix’. But which seven spices? Opinions vary wildly. For the recipe posted here, I chose cumin, crushed coriander seeds, turmeric, paprika, cinnamon, allspice and black pepper. Other recipes may include nutmeg, cloves, cardamom, ginger, cayenne or fenugreek. The only constant seems to be cumin, Mix and match as you prefer.
Another question concerns the best type of lentils to use. I asked the friendly fellow at a Lebanese market stall about this, and before telling me to get lost — ‘I’m to busy to be giving out recipes’ — he said that the proper Lebanese lentils were not available in Paris. So I opted for blond lentils, which seemed like the closest match, although some recipes call for green lentils. Again, up to you. As for the rice, I would recommend basmati.
Moudardara has the advantage of appealing to omnivores, vegetarians and vegans alike. It goes well with a wide range of dishes, from grilled meat to veggies like eggplant, spinach or Middle Eastern salads like fattoush (cucumber, tomato and fried bread). You could pair it, for example, with lamb kebabs or roast chicken, or make it part of a veggie spread with hummus, roasted eggplant salad, chickpea salad, tomato salad and/or eggplant gratin.
Bottom line: While moudardara is known as a poor man’s dish, I can guarantee that you’ll be richly rewarded if you give it a try.
Happy cooking.
This looks like such a satisfying and flavorful dish! I love the combination of lentils, rice, and caramelized onions—so simple but full of depth. It seems like the kind of meal that gets even better over time. Do you have any tips for making sure the rice and lentils cook to the perfect texture?
Hi Annie. For rice, I generally use a 2:1 quantity of water to rice, i.e. for one cup of rice two cups of water, and cook it, covered, until nearly all of the water is absorbed, at which point I turn off the heat but leave the cover on so that the steam inside the pot finishes the cooking process. For lentils I use a similar method but leave the pot uncovered. When most of the water is absorbed I try a lentil and either turn off the heat if it’s done or add more water and cook a little more. For this dish, I cook both the rice and the lentils a little bit less, as they will finish cooking when combined with the onions and spices. If the lentil-rice-onions mixture seems dry when combined, you can add a little more water, say 1/4 cup, when you heat it up together. Hope this helps!
Tried it today with barbeque chicken. Two kids loved it, one demanded french fries. Well, you can’t please everyone! Blond lentils were fine — the Middle Eastern bodega here in Potsdam had a wide variety of lentils. When I asked about spices, they mixed some in a bag for me. I’m not sure what was in it, but our taste buds were stimulated and pleased. Thanks again for the challenge!
Harley, so glad it was a success! Next time why not try mixing your own spices? Creative and fun…