Mujadara (Stovetop and Instant Pot Directions)

A Middle Eastern preparation, Mujadara is essentially spiced rice and lentil topped with crispy, golden fried onion slices. And, it sure is quite an easy to manage dish, both to assemble and to cook. Enjoy it for a quick lunch (or dinner), or an excellent on-the-go packed meal.

It is an amazing preparation! Not only because it requires easy to find ingredients, but also for the flexibility it offers in the ways you can serve or prepare it! Serve it with plain yogurt, or any other spicy sauce such as Sriracha, hot sauce, etc. This dish is gluten-free, nut-free, and if you skip the yogurt it can very well turn into a dairy-free preparation as well!

Mujadara is one such Lebanese dish that is amazing on so many levels. It is nutritionally balanced owing to the presence of rice and lentils, which are great sources of the vital nutrients carbohydrates and proteins. This whole grain (lentils) is also a great source of fiber, iron, B vitamins (including folate, thiamine, vitamin B6, and pantothenic acid), manganese, phosphorus, copper, potassium, magnesium, and zinc. Phew.. incredible, right?

With such an interesting profile, here is how you can prepare this dish for your family and friends for the weeknight get-together!

Mujadara, which literally translates to “pockmarked” in Arabic, it is one of the few Middle Eastern preparations that is also vegetarian.

Mujadara

what you need:

• ½ cup dry basmati or long-grain rice

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

• 2 bay leaves

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• ½ cup dry brown lentil, rinsed and drained

• 3 cups water, plus ¼ cup more

• ½ teaspoon salt, plus a pinch more

• Oil, for frying

• 1 large red onion, peeled and sliced

• ½ tablespoon cumin powder

• ½ teaspoon black pepper powder

• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped or a parsley sprig for garnish

what to do:

1. Wash, rinse, and drain the rice. Soak it in normal water for about 30 minutes.

2. In a large pot, heat olive oil on medium flame.

3. Add the bay leaves and garlic to the oil and cook for about 30 seconds. You will need to stir it constantly.

4. Stir in the lentils and then pour two cups of water over it. Add ¼ teaspoon salt and bring it to a boil.

5. Cover with the lid and cook the lentil on simmer until the lentil is half cooked. You will have to stir it occasionally and add more water (about an additional ¼ cup) if you feel that it is drying up.

6. Meanwhile, heat oil for frying in a small pan.

7. Deep fry or shallow fry sliced onions on low to medium heat until it turns golden brown in color.

8. Remove the fried onions onto a dry paper cloth and sprinkle a pinch of salt on it. Lightly mix the salt with the fried onions and keep aside for it to crisp.

9. Now, add rice to the boiling lentils.

10. Add the cumin powder, ½ teaspoon salt, black pepper powder, and the remaining water to the lentil and rice mixture.

11. Bring the water to a boil on medium flame and then cook it covered on simmer until the rice is cooked. You will have to stir it occasionally.

12. Serve mujadara with fried onions on top. Garnish with parsley and enjoy!

You can also prepare this dish in an instant pot. Simply use overnight soaked brown lentils and cook it along with the rice to save your cooking time!

If you are not a big fan of instant pots, you must be using a gas stove frequently for your daily cooking requirements. To prepare your meals, a gas stove can also be a great choice as it is a fast cooking medium, helps alter the temperature frequently based on the cooking requirements. For effective gas cooking, you must have the best cooking appliances (categorically pots and pans), which will complement your cooking and give a great result. For this, you should check this article on The Daring Kitchen, where you will find a practical purchase guide for some of the best pots and pans available in the market.

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Ligia loves experiencing new cultures through foods and travels. Her hobby is experimenting with different cuisines. Read more of her recipes at The Daring Kitchen.

Simple Cabbage Soup (Instant Pot + Stovetop Instructions)

Growing up, we weren’t allowed to drink at the table. Not even a glass of water. We had to drink, like, 20 minutes before we ate or wait until afterward. Something about digestion? No clue. Anyhow, one day, I asked my parents, well, if we can’t drink while we eat, how come we have soup? I honestly still remember the look on their faces, and the stammering that followed. It was great. I feel like if my kids happen to be as cheeky as I was…well, I have a lot of character building that the Lord wants me to go through, haha! But on to the cabbage soup!

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Whenever I think of cabbage soup, I think of Charlie’s mom from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory making cabbage soup. Or my grandma, or all of the wartime stories one hears. Cabbage soup is great on a budget and is packed with nutrients! Plus, it’s delicious - so I would say it’s a win-win to make this soup.

You can add whatever items you want from your fridge or pantry. I like adding a can of white beans sometimes, and other times, I feel like adding frozen corn. It’s very versatile!

I love making this pot in the Instant Pot (I have the 6qt Duo from Amazon). While it is not much quicker to cook up in the Instant Pot, it definitely cuts down on the amount of time I have to spend minding the stove. It’s just kind of nice to set the pot and be fully engaged with cleaning up or whatever else needs to be done and not checking on the soup or stirring. Plus, the cleanup is fantastically easy with Instant Pot.

Simple Cabbage Soup

what you need:

• 1 large onion, chopped

• 2 carrots, chopped

• 2 stalks celery, chopped

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 1/2 head green cabbage, chopped

• 1 tsp chili powder

• 2 tsp parsley

• 1 tsp basil

• 1 TBSP homemade chicken-style seasoning, or store-bought

• 6 cups vegetable broth (try this homemade version!)

• 1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes

• 1 15-oz can white beans - drained and rinsed (optional)

• pinch red pepper flakes

• salt and pepper to taste

• 1 tbsp olive oil

Instant Pot instructions:

1. Set Instant Pot to the saute function. Add olive oil and allow to heat a bit. Add onion and cook for about a minute. Add the minced garlic, celery, and carrots, and cook another minute.

2. Turn the pot off and add chilli powder, parsley, basil, diced tomatoes, beans, vegetable broth, and seasoning.

3. Manually set the pot to pressure cook high 5 minutes.

4. Once the pot is finished, manually release the steam.

5. Stir in cabbage, until slightly wilted. Add red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper to taste.

Stovetop Instructions

1. Heat up olive oil in a large pot. Add onion and cook until soft. Add celery and carrots and cook another 3 minutes, until soft. Add garlic and cook another minute.

2. Add the spices, herbs, and tomatoes and beans, and vegetable broth.

3. Bring soup to a simmer, stirring, about 20 minutes.

4. Add cabbage and mix in until slightly wilted. Add red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper to taste.

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What kinds of soups are your favourite?

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Potato Chickpea Curry (Great for Meal Prep: Instant Pot Recipe + Stovetop Instructions)

I’m one of those kinds of people who always has to think thoroughly through every decision I make about larger purchases. I spend months, sometimes years, researching things before I invest. The Instant Pot (Get one on Amazon here) was no exception to this. I was hesitant at first, and took years looking up the pros and cons and finally took the plunge. Now I’m wondering how I ever lived without this magical pot! Meal prep is a dream come true now. I think my favorite part of the InstantPot is the cleanup - which is virtually zero!

It took a little while to get used to all the buttons and beeps, but once I did, I started getting more creative with the things I made in it. I now use my Instant Pot several times a week!

I took a poll in Instagram a few weeks ago, and you all wanted some more Instant Pot recipes and now I can finally share one with you - a simple potato chickpea curry that will keep you fed all week!

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This potato curry is so great for a quick meal prep. I love putting it over wild rice and it lasts a week in the fridge. A week of lunch with little effort (and money!) sounds great to me. 

What’s in the curry:

Potatoes, carrots, onion, ginger, spices, tomatoes (canned for convenience) and...chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans)! Everything is quickly chopped up, put in the pressure cooker, and cooked up! Set it and forget it (who remembers that commercial?)!

Note on the garbanzo beans: you can use canned, but I use dried beans that I’ve cooked previously. The Instant Pot is great for that. Find a tutorial here. You can freeze them to use whenever you like (I freeze them in 3 cup increments; a can is about 1 and a half cups).

I love curries because they are so easy to put together, nutritious, and versatile!

Potato Chickpea Curry

What You Need:

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 4 potatoes, chopped

• 2 small carrots, chopped

• 1 medium onion, chopped

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• Ginger, 1 inch minced

• 1 tsp each: Salt, Cumin, garam masala, curry, turmeric, chili powder, 

• 1 cup water (or plant based milk - I like coconut)

• Can of crushed tomatoes (Or stewed or diced, blended)

• 3 cups garbanzo beans (two cans if using canned)

• 1 tbsp fresh parsley (optional)

What to Do (Instant Pot):

1. Turn on your pot to Sauté setting.

2. Add olive oil and wait to heat.

3. Add onions and cook 3 minutes.

4. Add garlic and ginger and cook another minute.

5. Add carrots and potatoes and spices and mix together.

6. Turn off pot and add the water, tomatoes, and garbanzo beans.

7. Manually set the pot on high for 7 minutes, making sure to seal.

8. Once timer goes off, manually release the pressure

9. Adjust to taste and serve. You can serve this with rice or even naan.

What to Do (Stovetop):

1. Add olive oil to skillet and sauté onions until translucent. Add garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant.

2. Add carrots, potatoes and spices and cook until the vegetables are a little soft.

3. Pour in the water (or milk), tomatoes, and garbanzo beans.

4. Allow the mixture to simmer for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are cooked.

5. Top with fresh parsley and serve with rice

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What are some of your favorite meal prep meals?

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How To Cook [Garbanzo] Beans - Using a Pot, Instant Pot, or Slow Cooker

I love the versatility of garbanzo beans (also known as chick peas)! You can put them in a salad, roast them in the oven to make a quick snack, have them in a bowl or even crush them to make a spread or burgers. Beans of any sort are great to keep in the pantry, and if you are trying to save money on groceries, a fantastic way to do that is to buy beans dry! They keep a long time, and they are easy to prepare and freeze if you want to keep them on hand. Plus, if you have concerns about the sodium content in canned beans, dried is the way to go! Canned or not, you definitely need beans in your diet, so I decided to do a quick "how to" post to help you out. 

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This how-to really applies to any bean and there are several ways to cook them. 

Step One: Sort
Check your beans for any broken fellows or other debris or stones you may find in a dry bag of beans. You will want to get all of that out.

Step Two: Rinse
Pretty self-explanatory.

Step Three: Soak
Now, soaking is optional actually! The thing about soaking is that it will cut your actual cooking time down (Saving you on gas/electricity - whatever your stove runs on), and it will also make beans less of a "musical fruit," as it allegedly helps break down some of the indigestible sugars that cause flatulence. I honestly don’t notice any difference between soaking or not. The easiest way to soak beans is overnight. Just make sure water is about 2-3 inches above them and sleep the night away. Waiting is easier then. You can also do a quick soak by putting them in a pot with water, bringing it to a boil, and then taking them off the heat and let them soak for an hour.

Step Four: Cook

Cooking Garbanzo Beans on the Stovetop

Again, make sure there is 2-3 inches of water covering your beans and bring the pot to a boil - slowly though. Bring the pot to a simmer, and stir occasionally, scraping off any foam that on the surface (you won't get too much with garbanzos). You will know your beans are done when they are tender (you can mash or poke them with a fork - or eat one like I tend to do....hehe)

Cooking Garbanzo Beans in the Slow Cooker

• 3 cups garbanzo beans

• 7 cups water

Cover and cook on high in your slow cooker for 4 hours, or on low for 8 to 9 hours - or until tender.

Cooking Garbanzo Beans in the Instant Pot (My favourite method):

• 3 cups garbanzo beans

• 7 cups water

If you are doing them from dry garbanzo beans, add the beans and water to your inner pot and set your pot to high pressure for 45 minutes. If your beans are soaked, set your pot to high pressure for 12 minutes.

Let pressure release naturally for 10 minutes and move steam release to venting to release the remaining pressure.

Step Five: Store
Beans will stay good in the refrigerator for several days, but I like to keep them in the freezer for easy and quick access. You can put them in little bags or freezer-friendly containers and they will stay several months in the freezer. I suppose you could can them as well, but I personally like the freedom with how many I want to use with the freezing method. I don't always use an entire cans worth.

Tip: If you want, portion them out into portions of 1.5 cups - about the amount in a can.

Yay! You are now ready to save time (with some planning, of course) and money!

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How do you cook your beans? What do you cook with them?

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