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A white platter heaped with mujadara: white rice and brown lentils all topped with golden shallots.

Shortcut Mujadara with Instant Pot Rice and Precooked Lentils

Cassie Waltman
This shortcut mujadara is a warmly-spiced combination of instant pot rice, precooked lentils, and deeply caramelized crispy shallots.
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 25 mins
Total Time 30 mins
Course Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine Middle Eastern
Servings 4 people
Calories 435 kcal

Equipment

  • Pressure Cooker (optional)

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup basmati rice
  • 1 pound pre-cooked packaged lentils
  • 4 whole shallots (sliced thinly, substitute 2 small onions if needed)
  • ¼ cup olive oil (plus additional for finishing)
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt (plus more, to taste)
  • 1 tablespoon cumin (ground)
  • 1 teaspoon coriander (ground)
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon (ground)
  • 2-3 garlic cloves (minced or pressed)
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper (ground)

Instructions
 

Instant Pot Basmati Rice

  • Thoroughly rinse the rice using a mesh strainer. Add the drained rice and 1⅓ cups water to the pressure cooker insert and cook at manual high pressure for 6 minutes.
  • When the cooking time is finished, do a quick release of the pressure and fluff the rice. Keep it warm until you add it to the skillet in the steps below.

Cooking the Shallots

  • Heat oil and salt over medium heat in a deep skillet. Cook shallots or onions for 7-10 minutes, until deeply caramelized. Watch carefully towards the end to prevent burning.
  • Remove shallots or onions to a bowl using a slotted spoon and set them aside. Keep the oil in the skillet.

Combining the Lentils, Rice, Spices, and Shallots

  • To the oil, add garlic, coriander, cumin, pepper, and cinnamon and cook 1-2 minutes or until fragrant and garlic is softened.
  • Add the lentils and stir to distribute the spices evenly. Cook until heated through, then add the rice and half the caramelized shallots or onions. Mix and taste for salt and pepper; adjust as needed.
  • Transfer mujadara to a serving dish, top with remaining shallots or onions, and drizzle with olive oil if desired.

Nutrition facts are sometimes provided below and are calculated using an online calculator. With specific brands of ingredients and additions, omissions, or substitutions the nutrition facts may change. We encourage you to use your own nutrition facts caculator to obtain the most accurate nutrition facts for your meal.

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 435kcalCarbohydrates: 63gProtein: 15gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gSodium: 848mgPotassium: 355mgFiber: 8gSugar: 0.2gVitamin A: 20IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 88mgIron: 4mg
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