Description
Mujaddara bi Fasolia is a traditional Lebanese stew featuring tender kidney beans and nutty bulgur cooked together with caramelized onions, creating a hearty and flavorful dish. This stew is perfect as a comforting vegetarian main course, served warm or cold alongside plain yogurt, fresh greens, and pita bread.
Ingredients
Scale
Beans and Bulgur
- 2½ cups dried kidney beans
- 1 cup coarse bulgur
- 4 cups warm water
- ½ teaspoon salt
Onions and Oils
- 2 large onions, finely minced
- ¼ cup olive oil
- â…“ cup vegetable oil (or additional olive oil for frying)
Instructions
- Soak and Prepare Beans: Soak the dried kidney beans in water overnight to soften them. After soaking, drain and rinse the beans thoroughly.
- Pre-boil Beans: Place the soaked beans in a pot, cover with fresh water, and bring to a boil for 5–10 minutes. Drain and discard this water to remove any impurities.
- Cook Beans: Refill the pot with 4 cups of warm water and bring to a gentle boil to continue cooking the beans until tender.
- Caramelize Onions: In a frying pan over medium heat, heat the ⅓ cup vegetable oil. Add the finely minced onions and sauté for 15–20 minutes until they are deeply caramelized and crispy. Once done, discard the excess oil from the pan.
- Make Onion Broth: Pour 2 cups of boiling water from the beans into the caramelized onions in the pan. Boil this mixture for 10–15 minutes until the water takes on a deep caramel color, enhancing the flavor.
- Combine Onions and Beans: Transfer the onion broth back into the pot with the beans. Continue boiling the mixture over medium heat for 15–20 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld.
- Add Bulgur and Final Ingredients: Stir in ¼ cup olive oil, the coarse bulgur, and ½ teaspoon salt. Mix well to combine all ingredients uniformly.
- Simmer to Finish: Let the stew boil for another 10–15 minutes until it thickens and the bulgur is cooked through.
- Serve: Serve Mujaddara hot or cold, accompanied by plain yogurt, fresh greens such as raw onions, green onions, or radishes, and warm pita bread for a complete meal.
Notes
- Soaking kidney beans overnight helps reduce cooking time and improve digestibility.
- Discarding the initial boiling water when cooking beans removes bitterness and impurities.
- Caramelizing onions slowly over medium heat develops deep, rich flavors essential to the dish.
- The deep caramel color in the onion broth is a key flavor component; do not rush this step.
- This dish can be served warm or cold, and leftovers taste even better the next day as flavors meld.
- For a vegan option, serve with plant-based yogurt instead of plain yogurt.
