Cheat Mjadara – Lentil Rice

Name: Cheat Mjadara - Lentil Rice
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Yield: 4-6
Cuisine: Middle Eastern

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roubashahin.com.au

Mains

My quick fix for busy nights — canned lentils, basmati rice and golden onions, ready in under 25 minutes. No shortcuts on flavour.

PREP TIME

5 minutes

COOK TIME

20 minutes

SERVES

4-6

About this recipe

If you’re a young mum running on broken sleep, or you’ve never cooked Lebanese food before and the whole idea feels like a lot — this lentil rice is for you. I remember exactly what that felt like, wanting to put something proper on the table but not having the time, the confidence or the headspace for a long, traditional cook. This is a way in. Simple, forgiving, and still genuinely good lentil rice, made so that anyone — Arab or not, confident in the kitchen or not — can sit down to a home cooked meal tonight.

What’s more, swapping dried lentils for canned ones doesn’t mean swapping out flavour. Toasting the rice in the same pan as the sautéed onions, then finishing everything with cumin and a generous pinch of salt, keeps this dish properly comforting. As a result, you get a satisfying, well-seasoned bowl of lentil rice in well under an hour, with barely any hands-on effort and very little room to go wrong.

When you’re ready to go further, my authentic Lentil Rice Mjadara is the traditional version of this same combination — caramelised onions, dried lentils, the whole process done slowly and properly, the way I make it at home. And if you want to keep exploring lentils, this pairs beautifully alongside my Shish Barak with Lentils, a deconstructed take on the classic lamb and yoghurt dumpling stew. Best of all, there’s no pressure here — start with this one, and the rest will follow when you’re ready.

Ingredients

2 onions, diced
1⁄4 cup olive oil
1 cup basmati rice, rinsed
Salt, to taste
1⁄2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 cans lentils (400 grams each), drained and rinsed
1 1⁄2-2 cups water

Notes from Rouba

I used standard 400 gram cans of lentils here — any brand of brown or green lentils works well, just drain and rinse them thoroughly first.
Rinse the rice well before adding it to the pan.
If the rice isn’t quite tender once the liquid’s absorbed, add a small splash of extra water, pop the lid back on and give it a few more minutes.
This is a great one to double — it keeps and reheats well, so it’s worth making a bigger batch for the week ahead.
Only a handful of ingredients required — pantry staples you’ve likely already got on hand.

Method

Step 1. Sauté the Onions

Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the diced onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly golden, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Step 2. Toast the Rice

Add the rinsed basmati rice to the pan and stir well so every grain is coated in the onion and oil. Season with salt and the ground cumin, then stir for another minute to lightly toast the rice.

Step 3. Add the Lentils and Simmer

Add the drained lentils to the pan and stir gently to combine. Pour in the water, reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid, and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the rice is tender and the water has been absorbed.

A FEW THINGS YOU'LL WANT TO KNOW

Can I use dried lentils instead of canned?
You can, but it's worth doing properly rather than just swapping it in here — the traditional method uses the lentil cooking water to cook the rice too, which is delicious. If you want to go that route, head to my Middle Eastern Lentil Rice Mjadara, which is built specifically for dried lentils from start to finish.

Why canned lentils instead of cooking them from scratch?
This recipe is really about giving you a fast, reliable option for the nights when a full stovetop cook isn't realistic. Canned lentils are already cooked and ready to go, so you skip a whole step without losing that home cooked feeling.

Can I make this ahead of time?
Yes, it keeps and reheats really well. Store it in the fridge for a few days and warm it gently on the stove or in the microwave, with a small splash of water to loosen it back up.

Is this recipe vegan?
Yes — as long as you stick with the olive oil, this one is completely plant based.

What do I serve this with?
A simple yoghurt on the side is lovely, as is a fresh salad to cut through the richness. It also holds its own as a light meal by itself.

Want it closer to the traditional version?
Traditional mjadara is always finished with a pile of caramelised onions on top, and you can easily bring that into this version too. Slice an extra 2 onions and fry them in 1⁄4 cup of olive oil over medium heat until soft and deeply golden, then spoon them over the lentil rice just before serving. If you've got a little more time, it's worth doing this in just the one pan — cook the caramelised onions first, remove them and set aside, then start the actual recipe in that same pan from Step 1 with the diced onions. Saves you washing up a second pan, and you finish with the caramelised onions on top.