Name: Mujadara with roasted carrot yogurt
Total time: 80 min
Yield: 4 generous portions
Ingredients: 4 garlic cloves, crushed; 2 bay leaves; 1 tbsp cumin; 1 3/4 tsp fine salt, divided; 1/4 tsp black pepper; 5 cups water; 1 cup dry regular brown basmati rice, rinsed; 1 cup dry brown lentils, rinsed; 1/3 cup olive oil for onions; 2 large onions, thinly sliced; 1/2 cup sliced scallions; 1/2 cup chopped parsley; 2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces; 1 tsp olive oil for carrots; 1 cup plain Greek yogurt

Mujadara with roasted carrot yogurt

Roasted carrot yogurt sits beside the lentils, brown rice and deeply browned onions.

Published October 2, 2026 · Updated October 15, 2026

4 generous portions · Estimated 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients & method

Before you start: Prepare and preheat: 25 minutes · Rice, lentils, onions and carrots in parallel: 45 minutes · Rest and finish: 10 minutes

Equipment: Lidded pot; large skillet; rimmed sheet

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Keep rice, lentils and onions on their own schedules

Rinse the rice and lentils separately and leave them in separate containers: the brown basmati gets its head start before the lentils enter the pot. Adding them together at the beginning would change the cooking sequence this recipe is written around.

The onions are a parallel skillet task, not a quick garnish. Stir more often as their color deepens and lower the heat if the edges begin burning while the rest is still firm. Lift the browned onions out with a slotted spoon so excess oil can drain before they go onto the finished bowls.

Finish the warm base and cool accompaniment separately

Check both rice and lentils for tender centers before draining excess liquid and giving the covered mixture its off-heat rest. Remove the bay leaves before mashing in the softened garlic and folding through scallions and parsley.

The roasted carrots cool briefly before being chopped into the yogurt, which stays refrigerated until serving. Put the browned onions on top of the four portions and the carrot yogurt alongside. Keeping those components separate until the end preserves their different textures and temperatures.