Mücendra pilavı is an aromatic rice dish that's made with green lentils and onions, with variations of the dish popular throughout Middle Eastern and Eastern Mediterranean countries. The fried onions provide a lovely fragrance, with the green lentils adding an earthy, buttery flavour and firm texture that blends perfectly with the fluffy rice.
Pronounced 'moo-jen-drah pih-lah-vuh' in Turkish, it has various names depending on the country. These include mujadara, mujaddara and moujadara, but they're all essentially describing variations of the same dish.
Cypriot mücendra pilavı is less heavily spiced than Lebanese mujadara, which can include cumin, cinnamon and coriander seeds. Other recipes may also use coarse bulgur wheat or basmati rice instead of white long grain rice for a different flavour and texture.
Mücendra pilavı goes perfectly with grilled meats, such as lamb chops or chicken wings, but can also be eaten on its own with a dollop of yoghurt on the side. Topping with crispy onions adds colour, sweetness and a contrast in texture, but the dish works equally well without.
We use 'Easy Cook' long grain white rice for this recipe as it provides a fluffier texture. Substituting the chicken stock cube for vegetable makes the dish vegan. You can also partially cook the green lentils (step 1 and 2 in the method section below) and freeze them in batches in advance to make mücendra pilavı quickly mid-week. Simply add the frozen partially cooked lentils along with the hot water in step 5 of the method below - they will defrost quickly as you cook them.
Serves 4 as a side | Preparation time: 10 minutes | Cooking time: 1 hour | Additional time: 30 minutes to let the rice settle
Ingredients
For the rice | |
200g green lentils | 1 medium onion, finely chopped |
300g ‘Easy Cook’ long grain white rice, washed well until the water runs clear and strained | ½ chicken or vegetable stock cube |
1 tsp salt, or as desired | 1 tbsp butter |
750ml hot water | Sunflower oil, for frying |
For the crispy onion topping (optional) | |
1 large onion, finely sliced into crescent shapes | Sunflower oil, for frying |
Hob heat settings
Method
For the rice
Sift through the green lentils and discard any that are discoloured or broken. Rinse them in a sieve with cold water thoroughly and strain.
Add them to a small saucepan with enough hot water to cover by 2cm and place on a medium-high heat. Cook while loosely covered for 10-15 minutes, or until partially cooked (they should be soft on the surface and firm in the centre). Rinse the lentils with cold water in a sieve and place to one side to strain.
Generously oil a large saucepan to completely coat the bottom and place on a high heat. Once hot, add the chopped onions and fry until lightly browned but not caramelised - about 5 minutes.
Lower to a medium-high heat and add the rice and half stock cube. Fry for 2-3 minutes more, breaking up the stock cube to evenly coat the rice.
Stir in the hot water, the partially cooked lentils and salt, and simmer while loosely covered for 10-15 minutes, or until the water runs low. (Gently part with a spoon to check.)
Reduce to a medium-low heat and gently stir in the butter. Cook for a further 5-10 minutes while loosely covered, or until the water is fully absorbed by the rice.
Place a large clean tea towel (or 1-2 paper kitchen towels) loosely over the rice (so that it is not touching it) and place the lid on top of this. Leave to stand for at least 30 minutes, before fluffing up with a fork and serving warm.
For the crispy onions
Cut the onion finely into crescent shapes.
Add enough sunflower oil to a small frying pan until it is 1cm deep and place on a high heat. Once hot, add the sliced onion and fry for 10-15 minutes or until crispy and golden. Stir occasionally throughout frying by lifting the onions over from top to bottom with tongs so they fry evenly.
Remove the onions from the pan with tongs, straining as much oil as possible and place on a plate lined with 1-2 paper kitchen towels for a few minutes to absorb the excess oil. You can gently toss the onions over the paper kitchen towels a few times to dry them quickly. Serve on top of the rice.