Mejadra: Rice, Onions and Lentils
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 6 1x
Description
This rustic Middle Eastern comfort food makes a simple vegetarian main or the center piece for a mezze spread.
Ingredients
- 4 medium onions, thinly sliced
- 2-3 tbsp of flour
- 250g green or brown lentils
- 2 tsp cumin seeds
- 2tsp coriander seeds
- 200g basmati rice
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 1/2 tsp ground allspice
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- Salt and black pepper
- 350ml water
- Neutral oil like sunflower or vegetable
- Greek yoghurt (optional)
Instructions
- Cook the lentils in boiling salted water until cooked through but not completely soft (about 10-15 minutes).
- Sprinkle the flour on a plate and season well with plenty of salt and pepper.
- Toss the onion slices in the seasoned flour.
- Pour a couple of tbsp of neutral oil into a frying pan.
- How much oil you use is up to you. You can get away with not that much if you’re very health conscious, but if you want really crispy and delicious onions, you’re going to need a fair few tbsp.
- Depending on the size of your frying pan, either fry the onions all at once or in batches (there should only be one layer of onions in the pan at a time).
- Fry them in the oil over a medium high heat for 5-7 minutes until crispy and golden brown.
- Remove from the oil and drain on a plate lined with kitchen paper.
- Heat a large saucepan big enough to hold all the ingredients over a medium heat.
- Toast the cumin and coriander seeds for a minute or so until they start to pop.
- Add the oil and remaining spices and season well.
- Add the rice and toss in the spicy oil to coat.
- Add the cooked lentils and the water and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low.
- It won’t look like there is enough water, but there is.
- Simmer for 15 minutes covered with a lid.
- Take off the heat, remove the lid, cover with a towel and leave for 10 minutes.
- Serve topped with the onions, and a dollop of Greek yoghurt (if you like).
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 40 mins
- Category: Side Dish
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 310
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Frequently Asked Questions
How crispy should I cook the onions, and does the amount of oil matter?
The recipe is candid: “if you want really crispy and delicious onions, you’re going to need a fair few tbsp” of neutral oil. The flour-dusted onions fry in a single layer over medium-high heat for 5–7 minutes until golden brown, then drain on paper towels — the crispy fried onions are the dish’s defining topping and cutting back on oil significantly affects the result.
The instructions say it won’t look like enough water — should I add more?
No — the recipe addresses this directly, stating “it won’t look like there is enough water, but there is.” The 350 ml of water for 200 g of basmati rice and pre-cooked lentils is correct; the rice absorbs the liquid fully during the 15-minute covered simmer followed by a 10-minute rest off the heat with a towel under the lid.
Why are the lentils cooked separately and not boiled all the way through?
The lentils are pre-cooked in boiling salted water for 10–15 minutes until cooked through but “not completely soft” — they finish cooking with the rice in the spiced oil and water. Starting them fully cooked would make them mushy by the time the rice is done. 
What does the towel on top of the pot do during the resting step?
After the 15-minute simmer, the recipe removes the lid and covers the pot with a kitchen towel for 10 minutes. The towel absorbs steam that would otherwise fall back as condensation onto the rice, helping produce separate, fluffy grains rather than a wet, clumped texture.
