Description
A hearty and flavorful Instant Pot recipe for Mujadara, a Middle Eastern dish featuring brown lentils, Basmati rice, and caramelized onions. This comforting and aromatic meal is spiced with coriander, cumin, allspice, cinnamon, and black pepper, making it perfect for a nutritious, protein-rich vegetarian dish.
Ingredients
Caramelized Onions
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 cups onions, thinly sliced
- pinch of salt
Instant Pot Lentils and Rice
- 1 cup brown lentils (rinsed and drained)
- water (for parcooking lentils)
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup onions, chopped
- 2 tsp garlic, minced
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- ½ tsp cumin powder
- ½ tsp allspice
- ½ tsp cinnamon powder
- ½ tsp black pepper powder
- 1 tsp salt (or more to taste, 1¼ tsp recommended)
- 2¼ cups water or broth
- 1 cup Basmati rice (rinsed and drained)
- ¼ cup cilantro, chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
- Caramelize Onions: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add ¼ cup olive oil. Add thinly sliced onions and stir every 3-4 minutes as they brown around the edges. Adjust heat as needed to avoid burning. Continue until onions are deep golden brown, about 20-30 minutes, deglazing with a little broth or water if they stick. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and sprinkle with a pinch of salt.
- Parcook Lentils: Rinse and drain lentils. Place lentils in the Instant Pot and cover with water by about an inch. Pressure cook on high for 1 minute, then allow a 10 minute natural pressure release. Drain and set lentils aside.
- Sauté Aromatics: Turn Instant Pot to sauté mode and heat 3 Tbsp olive oil. Add chopped onions and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add minced garlic and sauté briefly. Turn off sauté mode.
- Add Spices: Stir in coriander, cumin, allspice, cinnamon, black pepper, and salt. Cook in residual heat for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Deglaze if necessary.
- Add Rice, Lentils, and Liquid: Stir in 2¼ cups water or broth, rinsed Basmati rice, and drained lentils, mixing gently to combine.
- Pressure Cook: Close the Instant Pot lid and set to high pressure for 6 minutes. Make sure the Keep Warm mode is off.
- Pressure Release and Rest: Allow a natural pressure release for 10 minutes, then open the lid. Gently fluff rice by lifting and scooping without overmixing. Let it rest uncovered for 7 to 10 minutes.
- Serve: Garnish with the caramelized onions and chopped cilantro before serving.
- Optional Stovetop Method - Parboil Lentils: Boil 2 cups water in a saucepan, add lentils, simmer for 7-10 minutes until firm but almost cooked, then drain and set aside.
- Stovetop Sauté Aromatics and Spices: Heat olive oil in a dutch oven, sauté chopped onions until soft (~3 minutes), add garlic briefly, turn off heat, then stir in spices until fragrant (~30 seconds).
- Combine and Cook Rice and Lentils: Stir in rinsed rice to coat grains, add 2½ to 3 cups hot water, then lentils. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer without stirring for 25-30 minutes until rice is cooked. If excess water remains, cook covered for an additional 5 minutes.
- Rest and Serve: Turn off heat and let rest covered for 5 minutes. Serve with caramelized onions and cilantro garnish.
Notes
- Use brown lentils for their texture and flavor that hold up well during cooking.
- Caramelizing onions slowly is key to the rich, sweet flavor in the dish; avoid burning them.
- Deglazing the pan when onions become sticky prevents bitterness and promotes even caramelization.
- The natural pressure release allows the rice and lentils to finish cooking gently, preventing mushiness.
- For stovetop cooking, use more water to ensure rice cooks properly and check water levels to avoid burning.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
