Mujadara with red beans is made of whole-grain bulgur wheat, plus red beans and caramelized onions to form a flavor-packed, Lebanese village-style peasant dish, served with plain yogurt, mixed green Lebanese salad, It’s very healthy, vegan and we grew up on these simple dishes.
Mujadara with no lentils!
When you mention the word mujadara, obviously, the primary ingredient that pops to mind would be lentils because mujadara is associated with lentils, but surprisingly , our mujadara here uses pinto beans or any red bean variety, the combination of red beans and bulgur makes this a satisfying dish on its own as they add a wonderful texture and earthy, nutty taste and a healthfully satisfying presence on the plate. The bulgur and caramelized onions make it reminiscent in a way of the mujadara hamra, they both will fill you up without weighing you down, and they can usually be served cold, hot or in between. It’s light and refreshing but filling, too.
Is it mujadara with beans or beans with bulgur?
It depends on where you are in Lebanon; mujadara with beans is what we at home call it, some would call it beans with bulgur, so it depends on the region.
Ingredients Needed to Make Mujadara with Red Beans:
- Dried Pinto Beans (Red Beans): Use fresh beans, fresher beans cook faster.
- Coarse Bulgur: Use coarse bulgur # 3 like all pilafs. I recommend using bulgur that is a rich, caramel-brown color, because lighter-colored bulgur may have been prepared from refined wheat that is stripped of its bran.
- Onions: Preferably use red onions, they caramelize beautifully, yellow onions can be used as a second option.
- Olive oil: Use olive oil to caramelize the onions and to cook the bean mujadara. Research has showed that olive oil is safe for cooking, our ancestors were right!
- Salt: Obviously, for seasoning.
- Water: The liquid agent to cook the pinto beans and bulgur.
Can I use another type of beans to make the dish?
Classically, mujadara with beans is usually made of pinto beans, those ones with speckled or painted appearance, they are suitable to make this type of mujadara, since they are soft, creamy with a mild nutty flavor. However, red kidney beans can be used as a substitute.
Can I use other than olive oil to make mujadara with beans?
Olive oil is classically used; research has showed that olive oil is safe for cooking, our ancesstors were right! However, you can go with a combination of sunflower oil and olive oil if you like.
How come modest ingredients turn into a dish packed with umami flavors?
There’s really nothing particularly hard about making the red bean mujadara, it just takes time to caramelize the onions. A you can see, no seasoning other than salt is required here, the magical, powerhouse of the caramelized onions will amp up the flavor with a savory, and slightly nutty flavor that is both intense and delicious; the person who created both mujadara hamra and red bean mujadara is, in my humble opinion, a culinary genius.
What to serve with mujadar with red beans?
- Serve it with plain yogurt
- Fattoush
- Middle Eastern Salad
- Salatet Zaatar Akhdar/ Lebanese Wild Oregano Salad
- Purslane Yogurt Salad
Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 4 days; reheat gently on the stove with a few splashes of water, or bring to room temperature and eat.
Your house will smell amazing, double the recipe you’ll have food for another day.
Looking for more enticing mujadara recipes? We got you covered!
- Mujadara Hamra: Mujadara Hamra is a combination of lentils, bulgur and caramelized onions. Obviously frugal, yet has all the elements of an elegant main dish. Every houseguest that tasted mujadara hamra praised its deliciousness even nonvegetarians love it.
- Mujadara with Bulgur: Mujadara with bulgur is an aromatic bulgur and lentil pilaf garnished with caramelized onions. The garnish here is far more than just decorating a plate, but will add an incredible depth of flavor to the humble lentil-bulgur pilaf! Those beautiful crispy onions will bring out a sweet flavor and will fill your kitchen with a mouth-watering aroma
- Mujadara Msafaieh: It’s just one example of how healthful Lebanese food can be. It’s a poor peasant recipe, with few humble ingredients and lean direction, but I promise mujadara msafaieh is impressive on your taste buds— it is budget-friendly, nutritious and so satisfying!
- Mujadara Makhbousa: Mujadara Makbousa/ Mujadara Makhboussa, a hearty, creamy and nutrient slow cooked mujadara that makes a sort of a thick porridge rather than a dry pilaf. In Lebanon we have different variations of mujadara. This recipe needs long cooking time, because our goal is to cook the lentils and rice until they are superbly tender and a bit mushy. Here is a great example that shows how perfectly lentils are suited to slow cooking. Makboussa in Arabic translates to mushy – mujadara makboussa has that creamy texture!
If you make Hadia’s Lebanese Cuisine Mujadara with Red Beans, kindly rate the recipe and leave a comment below. This will be helpful for future readers and if you snapped some photos, share them on Facebook, I would love to see your creations.
Mujadara with Red Beans
Description
Ingredients
- 3 cups dried red pinto beans
- 8 large onions
- 2 cups coarse bulgur#3
- 10 cups water to cook the beans
- 1 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons salt or to taste
Instructions
- Rinse the red beans under running water and drain. Place a large bowl and cover with water, at least 3 inches over the top of the beans, add a pinch of salt and leave them on the counter to soak for at least 8 hours or overnight.
- Drain, and place the beans in a pot and add 10 cups of water and cook on high heat, spoon the scum that appears on top; once it's brought to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover up and simmer for 1 1/2 hours or until the beans are fully cooked, drain the beans and retain the broth.
- Finely chop the onions.
- To caramelize the onions: Heat olive oil in a large pot and add the onions, the heat should be medium-low to prevent the onions from burning before they caramelize. Here you have to be patient. At the beginning the onions start to turn to translucent keep on stirring and scraping up the bottom of the pan until the onions reach the desired brown hue. (It should be deeply dark brown, and just a stage before burning). This is an essential step for perfecting the dish. Watch the detailed video tutorial. the process takes about 25 to30 minutes.
- Now add 4 cups of the bean broth to the caramelized onions, once it's brought to a boil, add the red beans, coarse bulgur and salt, mix well to infuse everything together.
- Cover the pot, reduce heat to very low and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the bulgur is fully cooked. The aroma will be so overwhelmingly inviting, happy eating. Serve it with plain yogurt, or fatoush or your favorite green salad.
Video
1 Comment
The idea of using red beans in Mujadara is such a brilliant way to keep the dish hearty and satisfying while making it vegan! It’s great to see how recipes like this continue to evolve while staying rooted in tradition.