Protein-Powered Mujadarra: Easy to Prepare
This dish is magic! It’s hard to believe a few simple and basic ingredients can taste so fabulous together.
It requires a bit of time but relatively little effort. You’ll be chopping onions…lots of them. I promise it’ll be worth every tear you’ll shed.
Flavorful and Filling
I love this Protein-Powered Mujadarra! My husband does too. There are so many reasons I recommend you make this dish. First and foremost it is super satisfying and tasty. Surprising as it might seem, with just three simple ingredients, you have the makings for a flavor packed dish.
Earthy, nutty and peppery lentils
Sweet and caramelized Onions
Aromatic cumin with elements of umami
Packed with Protein
Lentils (and the brown rice in this dish too!) are a fabulous source of protein. One serving of this dish provides 12 grams of protein.
Additionally, the dish is high in dietary fiber, packed with vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients and antioxidants, while being very low in saturated fat. These are all the components of a disease risk minimizing diet. The diseases I’m referring to are: Type 2 Diabetes, Coronary Artery Disease, Obesity and certain forms of cancer.
Planet-friendly Meal
While beans and lentils are excellent sources of protein, dietary fiber and other nutrients they also provide tremendous environmental benefits. Why?
It takes less than half the amount of water to produce one pound of lentils than one pound of beef. You see if takes a lot of fresh water to raise cattle….growing their feed, keeping them hydrated, washing away their waste, and cleaning slaughterhouse equipment.
In addition to intensive fresh water usage, the livestock sector is responsible for:
emitting more greenhouse gases than the entire transportation sector. These gases are responsible for global warming and climate change.
Land degradation
Dead Zones
Deforestation which in turns leads to greenhouse gas emissions, destructions of habitats, erosion of biodiversity and loss of species
For all of these reasons this Protein-Powered Mujadarra is a very planet-friendly dish.
Click here to read more about the impact of the livestock sector on the planet.
How to Reduce our Carbon Footprint
What can we do to reduce our carbon footprint and live more sustainably? Take shorter showers? Drive hybrid or electric vehicles? Add solar panels on our homes? All of these things help for sure.
There is way we can have profound impact each and every day, three times a day, whenever we sit down to a meal.
Eating a plant-based diet is one of the single most impactful things we, as individuals, can do for the health of the planet.
Great news…plant-based can be delicious and nutritious too.
Looking for other planet-friendly dishes, consider this Red Lentil and Spinach Dahl or Chickpea Salad with Grapes and Walnuts.
The Protein-Powered Mujadarra Recipe
Here’s the Protein-Powered Mujadarra recipe. Let me know how you like it. I love to hear from you! Hope you love it as much as we do.
Protein-Powered Mujadara
Equipment
- 1 4 quart sauce pan
- 1 Large saute pan
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1½ tsp cumin seed
- 1 ¾ tsp salt (divided)
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 cup brown lentils sorted and rinsed
- 1 cup brown rice rinsed
- 6 medium sweet yellow onions sliced into half moons
- Optional garnish: 3 tablespoons fresh mint or cilantro chopped
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a 4 quart saucepan over med-high heat. Saute the cumin seed for 1 minute.
- Add 4 cups of water and 1 tsp of the salt, black pepper, lentils and rice and stir.
- Bring to boil, cover and reduce heat to simmer for 40 minutes. (If not all of the water is absorbed after this time and the lentils and rice are cooked, remove the lid, and boil for a few minutes until the water is evaporated). Turn off heat and keep covered for 5 minutes.
- While the rice and lentils are cooking, heat a large saucepan over medium high heat.
- Saute the sliced onions with a few tablespoons of oil and ¾ tsp salt for 10 minutes stirring frequently and then reduce to medium-low heat and continue sauteeing until tender and caramelized, stirring periodically for 15 minutes or more.
- Combine half of the onions with the rice and lentils.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve topped with the remaining onions. Garnish with fresh mint or cilantro
