If you're looking for a new recipe, this one was absolutely mouthwatering!!! The kids loved it too. Cooking credit to my husband😊
Instant Pot Lentils & Rice (Mujadara) Recipe
Soaking time 1 hour
Total Time 1:40 minutes
Servings 6
Ingredients: 2 tbsp Oil to saute onions (divided)�1/2 Onion sliced (about 1 cup)�1/2 Onion diced (about 1 cup)�1/2 tbsp Garlic minced
3/4 cup Brown lentils (Whole Masoor Dal)
2 cups Water
3/4 cup Basmati Rice
1/4 cup Cilantro to garnish (optional)
Spices
1 tsp Ground Coriander
1/2 tsp Ground Cumin (Jeera powder)
1/4 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1 tsp Salt
Instructions:
Rinse and soak the brown lentils for 1 hour in warm water. Heat the instant pot in saute mode and add 1 tbsp of oil in it. Add the sliced onions and saute them for about 5 - 10 minutes until they brown and are slightly crisp on the edges. Take them out and save for later. Add 1 tbsp of oil to the instant pot. Add the diced onions and garlic. Saute till they lightly brown for about 3 -7 minutes. Add the ground coriander, cumin, cinnamon and salt. Stir in the lentils and water. Bring to a boil. Let it boil for about 2-3 minutes. This will help the lentils to get softer before we add rice. Add the rice and stir well. Press cancel and close lid with vent in sealing position. Cook on Rice mode. Instant Pot set the cooking time to 12 minutes at low pressure. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 mins, then release manually (10 minute NPR). Press cancel and take the steel insert out of the instant pot. Fluff the lentils and rice with a fork. Top with the caramelized sliced onions and cilantro. Enjoy with a side of yogurt and salad.
Notes
Soaking Dal: Soak the whole masoor dal for about an hour, so it gets soft and can cook in the same time as rice.
Spice: Adjust the spices to taste. I have kept this recipe to be non spicy.
Sautéed onions: Don't forget the sautéed sliced onions. They are the best part of Mujadara. If you want to save time, you can sauté the sliced onions on the stovetop while the rice & lentils are cooking in the instant pot.
Adding veggies: Typically veggies are not added in the original Mujaddara recipe, however similar to khichdi feel free to add veggies to taste. Some veggies that could cook well in the same time are - carrots, peas, potatoes, green beans, squash.
Mujadara with Brown Basmati Rice: We can make this Mujadara with brown rice with some minor modifications. Soak brown rice in hot water for about 2 hours. Do not soak the brown lentils. Then follow the recipe, no need to boil the lentils before adding rice. Then change the pressure cooking time to 15 mins on low pressure, followed by a 10 min natural pressure release. This means let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then release the pressure manually.
