How to make Mujadara – a nourishing vegan meal of lentils and rice, infused with fragrant Moroccan spices, served with caramelized shallots and seasonal veggies. This recipe can be made in an Instant Pot or on the stovetop! Video.
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 beautiful guide, Rachid was not eating meat during this time and would often stop at roadside cafes for a quick bowl of Mujadara- a simple, humble, nourishing meal of lentils and rice, seasoned with flavorful Moroccan Spices.
He described it as Moroccan comfort food – filling, nourishing and very affordable. The combination of spices is what turned this humble meal into something truly spectacular. And each bowl was a little different, depending on the town. Such flavor and aroma!
Mujadara Recipe | 60-sec video
Of course when we got home, it was the first thing I replicated. So this recipe is straight from Morocco and I hope you enjoy it as much as we have!
Mujadara can be made either on the stovetop (see the recipe notes) or very quickly in an Instant Pot. Don’t skip the step of caramelizing the onions, they truly elevate!
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 – always the true test!
Ingredients in Mujadara
- brown lentils (do not use split lentils) see notes
- olive oil
- shallots, thinly sliced ( or 1 red onion)
- 4 cloves garlic, rough chopped
- cumin
- coriander
- allspice
- cinnamon
- turmeric,
- ground ginger
- kosher salt
- dried mint or parsley ( or use a tablespoon of fresh)
- lemon zest
- water
- brown basmati rice
A Note on Lentils and Rice
If you use other lentils beside brown lentil (like small black or green 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 Instant Pot .
That is why we use brown basmati rice here, because they take roughly the same amount to time to cook as the big brown lentils.
***The goal here is getting both lentils and rice to cook in the same amount of time, so neither is mushy. 🙂 Please refer to recipe notes!
Optional Garnishes for Mujadara
- diced tomato
- diced avocado
- dark leafy greens
- sprouts or microgreens,
- sliced cucumber
- pine nuts,
- drizzle of olive oil,
- yogurt or vegan yogurt
- zhoug yogurt (amazing) or Harissa yogurt- see recipe notes.
- tahini sauce
- lemon wedges
- fresh parsley
- aleppo chili flakes
How to make Mujadara
The basic recipe for Mujadara is quick and easy, and can be made on the stovetop or in an instant pot.
Instant Pot Mujadara
- 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.
Stovetop Mujadara
- 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 seat aside.
- Drain the lentils and add them along with rice, spices, salt, water to the pot. Bring to a simmer, cover tightly and cook on low heat for 20-25 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 – and adjust par cooking time according to the size of the lentil. For example, tiny black beluga lentils take 20 minutes to cook, so you would not need to par-cook.
- While Mujadara is simmering 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.
Can Mujadara be made ahead?
YES! It is the perfect healthy thing to meal-prep for the week. It is easily reheated for easy healthy midweek meals. A healthy delicious base! Feel free to freeze Mujadara – it reheats well.
Can Mujadara be vegan?
Yes it is vegan! To keep this vegan, top with tahini sauce instead of yogurt. Or add avocado!
I love the warm, fragrant aroma of the lentils and rice, paired with the cool, crunchy raw veggies. Such great texture!
The addition of something creamy or rich like olive oil, tahini sauce or yogurt or zhoug yogurt(THE BEST) or even Harissa Yogurt ( mix harissa pasta yogurt together) really elevates.
Yes I realize these are not all “Moroccan sauces”, but they do taste good here. Just sayin’. 😉
An energizing healthy bowl!
The fresh herbs and olive oil really elevate the Mujadara, so don’t skip this step at the very least.
Moroccan Mujadara! A quick and easy vegan meal that is healthy, delicious, and easy- and can be made on the stove or an Instant Pot. You will love this! I promise!
xoxo
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Mujadara Recipe (Instant Pot & Stovetop)
- 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
- Diet: Vegan
Description
How to make Mujadara – a comforting, healthy Moroccan meal of lentils and rice, with fragrant Moroccan spices. This can be made in an Instant Pot or on the Stovetop. Vegan and GF.
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
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, optional
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 1/2 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
Instant Pot Version
- 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.
Stovetop Version:
- IF using large brown lentils, par-cook them in boiling water ( like you would pasta) for 15 minutes. If using small black caviar lentil 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.
- While the lentils are simmering, heat oil in a wide, shallow, heavy bottomed pot or dutch oven and saute the shallots, stirring often until golden and caramelized. Remove half and set aside.
- 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 20-25 minutes. Check to see if lentils and rice are tender. If not, continue to cook a few more minutes, adding more water if necessary.
- 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, harissa yogurt, or tahini sauce – and fresh parsley or mint.
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 or frozen, reheated, and used as a healthy base for mid-week lunches.
To make Harissa yogurt or Zhoug yogurt- simple mix a 1-3 tablespoons of harissa paste or zhoug to a cup of plain yogurt (of course you can use vegan yogurt)
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 ½ cups plus tomato & avocado and drizzle olive oil.
- Calories: 429
- Sugar: 4.3 g
- Sodium: 714.7 mg
- Fat: 14.8 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 63.1 g
- Fiber: 9.4 g
- Protein: 14.4 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Followed this recipe to a T and am disappointed to say mine turned out so bland. I see all of the reviews stating how flavorful this is, and I’m wondering where I could have gone wrong?? Help!
Did you add the correct salt??? my only guess… it’s a pretty flavorful dish.
This recipe is truly amazing. My 9 and 11 year old daughters cleaned their bowls. I used short grain brown rice and let it soak in hot water while I prepped everything else. Didn’t soak the lentils. Garnished with many of the yummy things you suggested. Thank you, I’m so excited to try your other recipes!
I’m so happy you liked it! Thanks for sharing your process! Helpful!
Awesome. I used French lentils and white basmati because that’s what I had. Added the (unsoaked) lentils to the pot with the rice and they were both done at the same time. I’ve made mujadara before without all the spices, but I must say the spice additions were wonderful – I’ll do it this way from now on. Also, thank you for introducing me to Trader Joe’s Zhaug – what a wonderful discovery!
Love this in the fall. I add shredded carrots just after the onions and top with anything I find in the fridge. My 4yo eats this with just yogurt on top.
Thanks Shallan!!!
This is my first time visiting your site, and you blew me away! My whole family loved this, including a picky 16-year-old.
I tweaked just a few things – doubled the onion, left out the coriander, and used plain brown rice.
I served it with fresh cucumber, lemon wedges, and chopped walnuts. It was a *huge* hit. And I had some leftovers cold the next day for lunch – even better!
I’ll definitely be coming back here for more recipes!
So glad you liked this Vicki!
This looks great, I look forward to trying it! A question on the nutrition facts though – the sodium content seems pretty high for a single serving? Is that derived just from the salt, or some other source within the recipe?
It is primarily just from the salt which of course you can cut back.
Killer recipe. The rice/pulse combo is always a winner for the instant pot. Thanks for sharing this gem!
Thank you for this wonderful recipe! My husband and I made this last night for dinner and both of us could not stop commenting on how good it was. We followed the recipe very closely and topped it with shredded mint, sautéed red and green onions, chopped tomatoes and cucumber, broccoli sprouts and your tahini sauce. So good! This morning I heated up some of the leftovers and smashed them on a piece of sprouted toast with avocado, sliced tomato and a slightly runny hardboiled egg. Delicious and so satisfying! We’ll be making this one again and again. Please keep your vegetarian dishes coming; we so appreciate them!
Hi Kamila, I’m so glad you enjoyed this! Love your breakfast rendition too!
Ohh, 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!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Hello – 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.
Hi 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!
I’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!
I used brown basmati but it was still hard after cooking for the recommended time. 🙁
I’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.
I ended up adding more water and pressure cooking for another 7 minutes which was perfect. The flavours are phenomenal!
Can’t wait to try this recipe out! Is the cook time the same for white basmati rice?
This 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.
I love the shallots too! Thanks for sharing and rating- very appreciated!!!
Delicious 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.
Yes, sometimes allspice can be intense depending on the brand/origin. If it is not a flavor you like, feel free to go lighter.
5 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!!!
Excellent. 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.
How 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!
Yes, black beluga lentils won’t need to cook as long…and white rice would be a better fit as far as cooking time.
Loved 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!
Help! Does anyone have advice for doubling this recipe?
It should work fine!
Made 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!
Awesome Theresa, yes amazing how it expands!
Delicious!
This recipe was SO delicious! My husband and I couldn’t get enough.
This 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!
Hello 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
I just added stove top instructions… thanks for the idea~!
I used the stove top method. The dish came out perfect! Thank you
Awesome- thanks for sharing!