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 stovetop! 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. Tomatoes 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 toasted 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 tzatziki, plain yogurt or zhoug yogurt! Yes I know these are not “Moroccan sauces”, but they taste good here.
An energizing healthy bowl!
The fresh herbs and olive oil really elevate the Mujadara, so don’t skip this step.
Moroccan Mujadara! A quick and easy vegan meal that can be made in an Instant Pot. You will love this!
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Instant Pot Mujadara
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 25
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 5
- Category: Main, vegetarian, vegan, gluten free, instant pot,
- Method: instant pot
- Cuisine: middle eastern
- Diet: Vegan
Description
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.
Ingredients
- 1 cup large brown lentils (do not use split lentils) see notes
- 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 cups water (updated from 3 1/2 cups- see notes if using white rice)
- 1 cup brown basmati rice (rinsed and drained- see notes for white basmati rice)
Garnishes: caramelized shallot or onion, diced tomato, simple roasted veggies, diced avocado, sprouts or greens, sliced cucumber, pine nuts, a 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 High pressure for 11 minutes. Let naturally release for at least 10 minutes.
- In the meantime, prep any garnishes you like.
- To serve, gently fluff the 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).
Notes
LENTILS & RICE: If you use different lentils (like small ones) or different rice (like white basmati) you will have to adjust the liquid down a bit. Most Lentils take 9 minutes (unless they’re very small) to cook in the Instant Pot. White Basmati Rice takes 5 minutes in the pressure cooker. That is why we use brown basmati rice here, because they take roughly the same amount to time to cook as the lentils. The goal here is getting both lentils and rice to cook in the same amount of time, so neither is mushy. 🙂
WHITE RICE If using white basmati rice, shorten the cooking time to 9 minutes and reduce water to 2.5 cups. The rice will still get slightly mushy, but not horribly.
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.
STOVE TOP: To make this on the stovetop, 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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This looks delicious but I’m a bit confused on cooking time – I usually cook brown basmati rice for 22 min in my instant pot (and every other recipe I’ve seen out there for brown rice in the IP recommends at least 20 min). Is there a special type of rice you’re using that cooks quicker?
Hi Betty, I use basic brown basmati rice. Do you use the rice setting? Maybe that’s it… here we just set on high pressure.
This was so easy and delicious. I used 3 sweet onions as I love caramelized onions and didn’t use parsley or lemon zest. I garnished with cilantro, avocado, tomatoes, small dollop of Greek yogurt and toasted pine nuts. Yummy! The spices are so warming. Thanks for a great recipe. Love that I could do it in the instant pot.
★★★★★
Thanks Amy! Glad you enjoyed this!
Lovely and easy yet tastes so much more complex than the few ingredients would suggest. Great over chopped spinach or with sauteed veggies. Will make this often throughout the fall and winter.
★★★★★
Thanks Nancy, glad you liked this!
Lovely – I didn’t have allspice so added a pinch each of cloves and nutmeg – and don’t care for coriander so left it out. Served with lemon wedges, avocado, tomato, cucumber and sour cream – the kids loved it and we did too. Very easy and I’ve added it to our monthly rota by request.
★★★★★
Great to hear Emily!
I haven’t cooked it yet! When I will I will let you know.
This was VERY good. I blitzed the spices rather than using them whole. I served with yogurt, parsley, a sprinkle of salt, pepper and chili flakes.
Sounds perfect Helen!
Yum.
Here’s my adjustment for green lentils and white basmati rice:
I soaked the green lentils for 4 hours prior to cooking. I cooked for 8 minutes with 2.5 cups water. Natural release for 10. I should have done 7 because both lentils and rice were slightly over cooked — but still yummy, and neither broke down.
Added an onion, and caramelized in a cast iron pan instead of the instant pot, then transferred before spices were added.
Served with raw carrots, heirloom tomatoes, raw zucchini, sautéed mushrooms, and hummus. Awesome work meal prep recipe.
Thank you!!!
★★★★★
Thanks so much Monia- appreciate this!
The instructions don’t say what to do with the rice. Cook it separately? mix in with the lentils? Throw it at the bride?
★
It is in step three. I bolded it to make it more noticeable. 🙂
This turned out perfectly! I used baharat instead of allspice & kept all of the shallots in the pot, caramelising half a brown onion until it was crispy. Just delicious, sprinkled with some freshly chopped mint & parsley. One point to note, this is a Lebanese dish 🙂
★★★★★
I’m so happy you liked it!
Can this recipe be made with brown Jasmine rice instead? Thank you!
Yes, I think that should work fine!
I’ve eaten many mjadras since I was very young because there’s a huge lebanese community where I live. I tried to learn from my friend’s grandma but I never got it right. This is hands down the best I’ve ever eaten. And I made it! With 10 minutes in the kitchen. Thank you so much for this recipe, I’m sure I’ll make it very often.
★★★★★
Delicious, nutritious & super easy to make! Roasted some veggies to go with it and made your tahini sauce to top. Thank you 🙂
★★★★★
Absolutely fantastic. I’ve tried making this dish (not this particular recipe) on the stovetop before and it always came out a mushy, oatmeal mess with no flavor. Trying it in the instant pot was the best. I didn’t have brown basmati rice, so I used white and adjusted accordingly per the recommendation and it did not disappoint. The aroma from the spice mixture punched me in the face (in the best possible way!) and was only a foreshadow of the deliciousness that was to come. I drizzled a little bit of toum on top and man, was it good. I may substitute veggie or chicken broth for the water next time to see what that does for the flavor. Can’t wait to make it again. Wife loved it, I loved it. Well done!
★★★★★
Gret to hear!
This recipe has come in handy so many times! Love it when I’m in the need for a high fiber recipe.
Pay extra attention to the water level notes to avoid getting mushy basmati rice.
★★★★★
Love this. I was craving it tonight but didn’t have brown lentils. So, why not try it with red lentils and white rice, cut the liquid a bit, add a shredded carrot? Cut the time to 6 minutes with a 10 minute release. Flavor is great. The whole pot is mush. I’ll stick with the originals next time.
★★★★★
Sorry Shallon, yes, split lentils will turn to mush here.
This is sooo delicious!! I’ve been trying to eat more plant based and this recipe is a keeper. I’ve already made it twice in the past week and recommended it to everyone I know. So good with all the toppings, especially the Zhoug sauce (didn’t have yogurt so mixed it with sour cream and it’s amazing) Thank you for such a delicious recipe!
★★★★★
It tasted great but the lentils got a little mushy so it wasn’t the right Mikaela consistency like I’ve eaten before – do you think using a bit less water or maybe cooking a couple minutes less would help?
★★★★
Yes. It may be the size of your lentils ( smaller?) require less cooking times. They come in so many sizes!
This dish was amazing! Will definitely be going into our regular rotation – flavor was phenomenal. My lentils did break down a little and make it creamy – any idea how to prevent that? I used what I thought were brown lentils, just labeled as “lentils” on the bag and not split.
Hi Beth, they may have been slightly smaller. They come is so many sizes! Maybe cut cooking time back by 1-2 minutes?