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    Home / Jordanian Kitchen / Mjaddara

    Mjaddara

    Lentils and rice cooked together under a crown of deep-gold crispy onions — the humble Levantine classic that quietly steals the table.

    ⏱ 15 minPrep time
    🔥 45 minCook time
    🍽 6Servings
    🏷 Jordanian KitchenCategory
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    Mjaddara - lentils and rice with crispy golden onions

    Mjaddara is the beloved poor-man’s dish of the Levant, a humble pot of lentils and rice crowned with deeply caramelized onions. Its history is long and its reputation is proud — it is said that a certain ruler once sold his throne for a bowl of it. In Jordan it is served with yogurt and salad, and the crispy onions are treated like treasure.

    A humble pot crowned with gold

    Brown lentils and rice cook together until the grains are tender and the lentils are just beginning to melt, creating a nutty, earthy base that needs nothing more than salt. The slow-cooked onions turn sweet, jammy, and shatteringly crisp, and they are piled high on top so every spoonful gets a piece. A spoonful of yogurt cools and brightens each bite. It is proof that the simplest food, cooked with care, can be the most satisfying, and the leftovers make a fine next-day lunch.

    Craving more? Explore all Jordanian Kitchen recipes.

    Stocking a Middle Eastern pantry? Our guide to 20 essential Middle Eastern pantry ingredients covers everything this dish uses.

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    Step by stepInstructions

    1. Heat 1/3 cup of the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring often, until deep golden brown and crisp, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove half the onions and set aside.
    2. Add the lentils and 3 cups water to the pot with the remaining onions. Bring to a boil, then simmer 10 minutes.
    3. Stir in the rice, cumin, salt, and pepper. Cover and cook over low heat until the rice and lentils are tender and the water is absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes.
    4. Let rest, covered, 10 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
    5. Serve the mjaddara topped with the reserved crispy onions, with yogurt and parsley alongside.

    💡 Chef tips & storage

    Take the onions to deep mahogany brown — that sweetness is the whole dish. Cook the lentils briefly before adding the rice so both finish at the same time.

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    Recipe details

    Prep15 min
    Cook45 min
    Servings6
    CategoryJordanian Kitchen
    PublishedAugust 17, 2026
    Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes

    Hi, I'm Emily 🧡

    Hi, I'm Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes. Simple, tested comfort food for real weeknights, written down the way grandma would. Pull up a chair. More about me →

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