Lebanese

Mujadara Hamra (Lentils & Bulgur)

By Samira Kazan

published May 21, 2024

Mujadara Hamra is a popular comforting Lebanese recipe. It combines brown lentils, bulgur wheat, and caramelized onions with a deep red-brown hue, making it a flavorful and nutritious dish perfect for picnics, cookouts, and gatherings.

A serving of Mujaddara Hamra next to small cucumbers, radish and saj bread - 1

This is the ultimate Lebanese comfort food—the lentils provide a soft, earthy flavor, the onions bring a bit of bitterness, and the texture of the coarse bulgur wheat balances it all out. Serve it with fresh veggies or a side salad, and you are all set. Plus, this dish can be enjoyed hot or cold, so it goes great for picnics or a quick/takeaway lunch.

While preparing mujadara Hamra might sound a bit complicated (those onions do need to cook for a while without burning), following my tried-and-tested cooking method and top tips will help you make a high-protein main dish everyone will love.

  • Mujadara: Hamra vs lentils & rice
  • Ingredients
  • How to make mujadara hamra
  • Choose a pairing salad to serve with
  • More Lebanese recipes
  • Mujadara Hamra (Lentils & Bulgur) Recipe
A close up of cooked lentils with bulgur wheat - 2

Mujadara: Hamra vs lentils & rice

In mujadara Hamra, lentils, bulgur wheat, and onions are the key ingredients. The onions are typically sautéed to a deep reddish-brown color, adding a deep, smoky flavor to the dish. On the other hand, Mujadara with lentils and rice is a simpler variation, containing lentils, rice, and caramelized onions. These onions are cooked until crispy and golden, bringing a sweet and savory contrast to the lentils and rice.

Ingredients

Ingredients for Mujadara Hamra - 3
  • Brown lentils: They will become perfectly soft when cooked. I add some salt to flavor them while cooking.
  • Bulgur wheat : For this mujadara recipe, it’s best to use coarse bulgur wheat.
  • Red onions
  • Oil: You will need both vegetable oil (to sauté the onions) and extra-virgin olive oil (to flavor the dish).
  • Water: To cook the lentils and to make the onion water.

How to make mujadara hamra

Boil the lentils: First, discard any small stones from the lentils and rinse them well. Then combine them with 4 cups of water (1 L) and the salt in a large pot. Bring to a boil and cook for 25 minutes.

Red lentils in a pot with water - 4

Fry the onions: As the lentils cook, finely chop the onions. Then, add the vegetable oil to a large skillet and heat over medium-low. Add the onions and sauté them for about 10 minutes or until they become dark brown. Make sure to stir continuously so they don’t just burn. Cooking them like this brings out a slightly bitter taste, which is needed for this dish.

Prepare the onion water: Then, drain the excess oil and carefully add 2 cups of water (500 ml) to the pot with the cooked onions. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to very low heat and simmer for about 7 minutes until the onions are very soft.

Steps for sautéing onions in a saucepan - 5

Combine and simmer: Next, sieve the onion liquid into the pot with the cooked lentils. The onions should be tender and disintegrate when passed through the sieve. If there are any small bits of onion left, press them with a spatula or a spoon so they pass through the sieve.

Sieving oil from cooked onions - 6

Next, add the bulgur wheat to the pot with the lentils and onion water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Then reduce to very low and simmer for 10 minutes. Keep the pot uncovered and stir occasionally. Finally, remove the mujadara hamra from the heat, and add the olive oil. Stir to incorporate and set aside for 10 minutes before serving.

Steps for cooking lentils and bulgur in onion water - 7

Choose a pairing salad to serve with

You can serve this lentils and bulgur dish with bread (I love serving it with Markouk Saj bread ), pickled turnips , tomatoes, onions, radishes, plain yogurt, ayran(salty drink yogurt) , or with salad. My favorite salad pairings are:

  • Authentic Fattoush Salad
  • Lebanese Tabbouleh Salad
  • Lebanese Creamy Cucumber Yogurt Salad (Kh’yar bi laban)
  • Simple Cabbage Salad
A serving of Mujaddara Hamra next to a plate with small cucumbers, radish and mint leaves - 8

More Lebanese recipes

A serving dish with healthy lentil salad topped with mint leaves - 9 A serving dish with healthy lentil salad topped with mint leaves - 10 Mujadara Lentils and Rice topped with cripsy onions - 11 Mujadara Lentils and Rice topped with cripsy onions - 12 A serving of Kamounit Banadoura - bulgur wheat salad - 13 A serving of Kamounit Banadoura - bulgur wheat salad - 14

Equipment

  • Pot
  • Potato masher

IngredientsUS CustomaryMetric1x2x3x

  • ▢ 1 cup brown lentils rinsed and drained
  • ▢ 3/4 cup bulgur wheat coarse
  • ▢ 3 onion medium
  • ▢ 5 cups water adjust as needed
  • ▢ 1/2 Tbsp salt
  • ▢ 1/2 cup olive oil extra virgin
  • ▢ 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (optional finish)

Instructions

  • Add the lentils and 2 cups water to a pot and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook until the lentils are nearly tender (a la dente) uncovered. Most of the liquid should be absorbed, but the lentils should remain moist and loose.
  • Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until very dark brown and jammy. The onions should look almost burnt in places but should never smell bitter.
  • Add 2 cups of water to the onions to deglaze the pot. Simmer for a few minutes, then mash the onions with a potato masher into a thick, rough paste with visible texture.
  • Stir the onion paste, its dark liquid, bulgur wheat, salt, and the remaining water into the hot lentils so they absorb the color and flavor.
  • Bring back to a gentle simmer. Cook until the bulgur is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed. When you drag a spoon across the bottom of the pot, the liquid should disappear within a few seconds.
  • Add the bulgur wheat to the saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Then reduce to very low and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Turn off the heat, cover, and let rest for 5–10 minutes. Fluff gently and finish with extra virgin olive oil if using. Enjoy hot or cold with a side of vegetables or a salad.

Notes

Nutrition

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

A serving of Mujaddara Hamra - 15

Mujadara Hamra (Lebanese Lentils & Bulgur)

Equipment

  • Pot
  • Potato masher

Ingredients

  • 1 cup brown lentils rinsed and drained
  • 3/4 cup bulgur wheat coarse
  • 3 onion medium
  • 5 cups water adjust as needed
  • 1/2 Tbsp salt
  • 1/2 cup olive oil extra virgin
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (optional finish)

Instructions

  • Add the lentils and 2 cups water to a pot and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook until the lentils are nearly tender (a la dente) uncovered. Most of the liquid should be absorbed, but the lentils should remain moist and loose.
  • Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until very dark brown and jammy. The onions should look almost burnt in places but should never smell bitter.
  • Add 2 cups of water to the onions to deglaze the pot. Simmer for a few minutes, then mash the onions with a potato masher into a thick, rough paste with visible texture.
  • Stir the onion paste, its dark liquid, the bulgur wheat, the salt, and the remaining water into the hot lentils so they absorb the color and flavor.
  • Bring back to a gentle simmer. Cook until the bulgur is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed. When you drag a spoon across the bottom of the pot, the liquid should disappear within a few seconds.
  • Add the bulgur wheat to the saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Then reduce to very low and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Turn off the heat, cover, and let rest for 5–10 minutes. Fluff gently and finish with extra virgin olive oil if using. Enjoy hot or cold with a side of vegetables or a salad.

Notes

Nutrition

Recipe on Alphafoodie: https://www.alphafoodie.com/mujadara-hamra/