Instant Pot Mujadara – a nourishing vegan meal of lentils and rice, infused with fragrant Moroccan spices, served with caramelized shallots and seasonal veggies. This can also be made on the stove top! See Recipe notes!
Few desires, happy life. ~Moroccan Proverb
While in Morocco last winter, we hired a guide to take us high up into the Atlas Mountains to visit the beautiful old Berber villages. Our guide, Rachid was not eating meat during this time and would often stop at roadside cafes for a quick bowl of Mujadara- a humble, nourishing meal of lentils and rice, seasoned with flavorful Moroccan Spices. He described it as Moroccan comfort food – filling, nourishing and very affordable.
This meal was very similar to what my Egyptian father used to make, but he called it “Kushari”. He would tell me stories of growing up in his tiny village, and how my grandmother, a Copt (old Christian religion) would make this lentil -rice dish for them during their “Holy Great Fast” which lasted almost two months. Years later, after moving to America, my dad would often make his version of lentils and rice, because it reminded him of his mom, and was his comfort food and very affordable when times were lean. Now that I think about it, this is actually very similar to Khichari, the healing Indian Ayurvedic Bowl I posted about a few years back. It seems many regions of the world have very similar versions of this!
The Mujadara we experienced in Morocco was different from my father’s – it was flavored with fragrant Moroccan spices and this recipe here is inspired by the Moroccan version.
This Mujadara recipe can be made quickly and easily in an Instant Pot. I like to make a batch and have it in the fridge for midweek lunches. I thought my husband Brian would shun the Mujadara, but to my surprise, he happily gobbled it up and wanted seconds – the true test.
The basic recipe is easy and quick, and feel free to add any seasonal veggies you like. Tomotoes are delicious in summer, but roasted root veggies or winter squash would be nice in winter.
The shallots are a must – so don’t leave them off.
I added pine nuts but feel free to leave them off or sub other nuts or seeds. A little crunchy texture is nice.
Then simply drizzle with olive oil, and add a squeeze of lemon. You can also serve this with yogurt or tahini sauce.
This can be made ahead and reheated for easy healthy midweek meals. A healthy delicious base. To keep this vegan, top with tahini sauce instead of yogurt. Or add avocado!
During the colder months, add seasonal roasted veggies, ( cauliflower, carrots, parsnips, butternut) instead of tomatoes. You can also add shredded raw veggies like carrots, beets or cabbage. So a warm base of lentils and rice, topped with cool, crunchy raw veggies. Add tahini sauce or yogurt or zhoug yogurt!
An energizing healthy bowl!
The fresh herbs and olive oil really elevate the Mujadara , so don’t skip this step.
Moroccan -style Mujadara! A quick and easy vegan meal that can be made in a Instant Pot. You will love this!
PrintInstant Pot Mujadara
Instant Pot Mujadara – a comforting, healthy vegetarian meal of lentils and rice, with fragrant Moroccan spices, served with caramelized shallots, fresh veggies, pine nuts and optional yogurt. Gluten-free and Vegan adaptable. To make this on the stove top…see recipe notes.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 25
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 5 1x
- Category: Main, vegetarian, vegan, gluten free, instant pot,
- Method: instant pot
- Cuisine: middle eastern
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown lentils ( or green or black- not split lentils)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2–3 fat shallots, thinly sliced ( or 1 red onion)
- 4 cloves garlic, rough chopped
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoons coriander
- 1 teaspoon allspice
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon turmeric, optional
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon dried mint or parsley ( or use a tablespoon of fresh)
- lemon zest from one small lemon
- 3 ½ cups water (be accurate)
- 1 cup brown basmati rice ( rinsed, or white basmati)
Garnishes: caramelized shallot or onion, diced tomato, simple roasted veggies, diced avocado, sprouts or greens, sliced cucumber, pine nuts, drizzle of olive oil, yogurt, vegan yogurt, zhoug yogurt (amazing), lemon wedges, fresh parsley, aleppo chili flakes. (In winter, serve with roasted root veggies, shredded kale, carrots, or cabbage or beets!
Instructions
Place lentils in a bowl and cover with hot tap water (or boiling water), letting them soak until time to add to the instant pot.
Set Instant Pot to Saute function. Saute shallots in the oil, 4-5 minutes, stirring constantly, until tender and fragrant and slightly caramelized. Remove half, saving for the topping. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Add all the spices, salt, lemon zest and water. Stir. Drain the lentils and add them along with the rinsed rice to the instant pot. Give a good stir.
Cover the instant pot and set to Normal Pressure, High for 14 minutes. Let naturally release for at least 10 minutes.
In the mean time, prep any garnishes you like.
To serve, gently fluff Mujadara with a fork (do not over mix, or it will get mushy ). Divide among bowls, drizzle with olive oil, add tomatoes, avocado, caramelized shallots, sprouts, a spoonful of yogurt or zhoug yogurt, or tahini sauce – and fresh parsley or mint. Feel free to serve with other seasonal veggies ( roasted root veggies, shredded cabbage or carrots, etc).
Enjoy!
Notes
This can be made ahead and refrigerated, and used as a healthy base for mid-week lunches.
In fall, winter you could serve with roasted winter squash or root veggies.
To make this on the stove top, and if using large brown lentils, par-cook them in boiling water for 15 minutes. While the lentils are boiling, heat oil in a dutch oven and cook the shallots, stirring often until golden and caramelized. Remove half and continue with the recipe. Drain the lentils and add it along with rice, spices, salt, water to the pot. Bring to a simmer, cover tightly and cook on low heat for 20 minutes. Check to see if lentils and rice are tender. If not, continue to cook a few more minutes, adding more water if necessary. If using small black or green lentils, check cooking directions for cooking time. Adjust par cooking time according to the size of a lentil. For example, tiny black beluga lentils take 20 minutes to cook, so you would not need to par cook. Please leave your adjustments below to help other users, thanks!
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Natalia Heisler says
October 7, 2018 at 6:21 amHello Sylvia,
The recipe sounds very good. What modifications should be done for a stovetop version? Amount of water? Or leave it as is, and it is a matter of how long to cook?
Love you recipes, by the way. I cook a number of them regularly.
Thank you,
Natalia
Sylvia Fountaine says
October 8, 2018 at 8:32 amI just added stove top instructions… thanks for the idea~!
Angie D. says
October 18, 2018 at 2:44 pmThis was delicious! I added a few pitted, chopped dates for a touch of sweetness, topped with whole milk yogurt, chutney, and sunflower sprouts for a quick and healthy, hearty dinner!
★★★★★
Liz says
November 4, 2018 at 4:26 pmThis recipe was SO delicious! My husband and I couldn’t get enough.
★★★★★
melissa says
November 24, 2018 at 1:42 pmDelicious!
★★★★★
Theresa says
December 19, 2018 at 7:20 pmMade this on the stove top and it’s so delicious! Super simple. Spiced just right. You wouldn’t think one cup of lentils and one cup of rice makes very much, but it really expands. It’ll be a tasty lunch for this week!
★★★★★
Sylvia Fountaine says
December 20, 2018 at 8:13 amAwesome Theresa, yes amazing how it expands!
Deb axt says
December 20, 2018 at 4:12 pmHelp! Does anyone have advice for doubling this recipe?
Sylvia Fountaine says
December 21, 2018 at 6:36 amIt should work fine!
Katie says
December 30, 2018 at 12:46 pmLoved the spices in this! I did this stovetop and was using trader joe’s ready to eat lentils so I cooked the rice separately and then mixed them in. Added coconut yogurt, avo, tomato, cucumber, lemon & scallions on top. This is my first time trying a recipe from this site and can’t wait to be back for more!
★★★★★
Steph says
December 30, 2018 at 4:30 pmHow would you adjust this recipe if using black beluga lentils and the instant pot? Less cooking time? Does that mean I should use white rice, not brown? Thanks!
Sylvia Fountaine says
January 1, 2019 at 3:15 pmYes, black beluga lentils won’t need to cook as long…and white rice would be a better fit as far as cooking time.
Gail says
January 3, 2019 at 7:05 pmExcellent. No tweaks needed with common brown-gray lentils. Next time I will cook more shallots so the leftovers will also have some. Thanks for the great recipe.
★★★★★
Lisette says
February 12, 2019 at 9:26 am5 stars is not enough for this delicious bowl. I made it -stovetop- with quinoa instead of rice, added homemade mangochutney (recipe from veganricha) and roasted parsnip. Made the zhoug yoghurt with soyayoghurt and it was the best. We couldn’t stop eating. Sylvia you are incredible! Thanks, again!!!
★★★★★
Sweetsinger says
February 18, 2019 at 8:03 amDelicious and fairly easy to prepare. I don’t have an Instant Pot but it cooked up just fine on my stovetop at normal timing for the rice.
I did find that the allspice drowned out everything else. Next time I’ll halve the allspice and double the ginger.
★★★★
Sylvia Fountaine says
February 18, 2019 at 5:53 pmYes, sometimes allspice can be intense depending on the brand/origin. If it is not a flavor you like, feel free to go lighter.
Karen says
May 20, 2019 at 5:18 pmThis was really,really good and quick and easy to make. I served it with the yogurt zhoug, which was sooo delicious. Added chopped dried apricots, toasted pecans, slivered green pepper and lemon wedges. I doubled the shallots and could have had more. They really make the dish. This recipe is a keeper.
★★★★★
Sylvia Fountaine says
May 20, 2019 at 9:40 pmI love the shallots too! Thanks for sharing and rating- very appreciated!!!
Mariam says
May 30, 2019 at 2:38 amCan’t wait to try this recipe out! Is the cook time the same for white basmati rice?
Lauren says
June 15, 2019 at 12:57 amI used brown basmati but it was still hard after cooking for the recommended time. 🙁
Sylvia Fountaine says
June 15, 2019 at 2:24 amI’m sorry about that Lauren! I will remake this with brown rice and update cooking time. It may be that soaking the rice beforehand could help with this.
Anonymous says
June 16, 2019 at 12:47 amI ended up adding more water and pressure cooking for another 7 minutes which was perfect. The flavours are phenomenal!
Lauren says
June 15, 2019 at 4:51 pmI’m coming off a kitchari cleanse and am wondering if this could be made with mung beans instead, if I adjusted the cooking time. Unfortunately lentils are on my “no, “no” list due to my dosha imbalances. I’ve made this before and it’s so easy and delicious! I want to make sure after the cleanse I adjust on something that won’t automatically give me bloat or gas!
Lauren says
June 15, 2019 at 5:18 pmHello – Do you think this could be adjusted for a split lentil recipe if the time was adjusted? I’ve made it before (and it’s delicious!!) but find that lentils don’t agree with my digestion as much as easier to digest legumes such as mung dal.
Sylvia Fountaine says
June 16, 2019 at 4:26 amHi Lauren, great question. I’m not sure how split lentils would do in the instantpot….I have never tried. My fear would be getting the burn ban? If you do try, will you let us know, I’m so curious!
Emmelien says
June 17, 2019 at 3:04 amOhh, this is the best mujadarra I’ve ever had! I have made several mujadarra recipes over the years because it’s simpleness is so appealing, but it was always bland and disappointing.
Not this one, though! So flavorful! I topped it with fried onions, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, sprouts, vegan yoghurt and zhoug. It was amazing, thank you for this delicious and easy recipe!
★★★★★
Sylvia Fountaine says
June 17, 2019 at 10:05 amI’m so glad you enjoyed it!