Instant Pot Mujaddara

For this recipe you need a pressure cooker.

Mujaddara is a comforting Middle Eastern dish made with rice, lentils, warm spices, and crispy onions. Traditionally it’s cooked on the stove, but using an Instant Pot makes it simple and reliable while still delivering deep flavor. The caramelized and fried onions on top bring sweetness and texture that make this humble dish special.

Ingredients

For best results when cooking brown lentils and basmati rice together in Instant Pot, it’s important to soak only lentils.”

For the rice and lentils

• 1 cup basmati rice, no soaking ,rinsed and drained

• 1 cup brown lentils, soaked (2hours),rinsed and drained

• 2 cups water

• 1 tsp salt (about 7 g)

• 1 tsp cumin powder

• ½ tsp coriander powder

• ¼ tsp black pepper

• ¼ tsp allspice

• ⅛ tsp cinnamon powder

• ⅛ tsp turmeric

For the sautéed onion base

• ½ cup finely chopped onion(=50g)

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1 bay leaf

For the crispy onion topping

• 1 cup thinly sliced onion(=150g)

• 2 tbsp rapeseed oil with lemon flavor (or any heat stable oil)

Garnish

• Fresh coriander leaves, chopped (or any herbs of your choice)

Instructions

1. Caramelize the onion

Set the Instant Pot to Sauté mode.Add the olive oil and the finely chopped onion. Cook slowly until the onion becomes soft and translucent. At this point you can add the salt. Continue cooking until the onion turns lightly golden and fragrant.

2. Add rice and lentils

Add the rinsed and drained basmati rice and brown lentils to the pot. Stir gently to combine with the onions.

Add all the spices: cumin, coriander, black pepper, allspice, cinnamon, and turmeric. Mix briefly so the grains are coated with the spices.

3. Pressure cook

Pour in 2 cups of water and stir once.

Close the lid and cook on high pressure for 7 minutes. Once done, release the pressure immediately.

4. Meanwhile, prepare the fried onions.

While the rice and lentils are cooking, heat some oil in a frying pan. Optionally add one bay leaf to infuse the oil with aroma.

Pat the sliced onions dry, then add them to the pan and fry slowly until they become golden and crispy. This usually takes about 10 minutes. Set aside.

5. Finish and serve

Gently fluff the rice and lentils.

Transfer to a serving dish and top with the crispy fried onions and fresh coriander or other herbs of your choice.