Mujaddara Recipe: Levantine Lentils and Coarse Bulgur with Crispy Onions

• 250 g whole green or brown lentils, picked over and rinsed
• 200 g coarse brown or white bulgur, briefly rinsed and drained
• 4 large onions (about 600 g), thinly and evenly sliced into half-moons
• 100 ml extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper and 1 1/4 tsp salt (to taste)
• 850 ml water for simmering the lentils and steaming the bulgur
• Plain yoghurt, finely chopped tomato-cucumber salad and torshi pickles to serve

Preparation Steps

1. 1Bring the rinsed lentils and 850 ml water to a boil in a medium pot, then lower the heat and simmer gently for 18 to 20 minutes until the lentils are almost tender yet still hold their shape.
2. 2Meanwhile, warm the 100 ml olive oil in a wide frying pan, add the sliced onions with a pinch of salt and fry uncovered over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring often, until deep golden-brown and crisp at the edges.
3. 3Lift out two-thirds of the crispy onions with a slotted spoon and spread them in a single layer on kitchen paper so they stay crunchy, leaving the remaining third and all the fragrant onion oil in the pan.
4. 4Stir the drained coarse bulgur, cumin, black pepper, salt and the reserved onion oil (with its onions) into the pot of lentils and their dark cooking broth, making sure the liquid sits just under 1 cm above the grains.
5. 5Cover tightly and cook over the lowest heat for 15 minutes until all liquid is absorbed, then turn off the heat and rest covered for 10 minutes before fluffing with a fork and piling the crispy onions on top.