Maftoul Mujaddara: Lentils, Coarse Grains and a Crown of Golden Onions
Brown lentils and whole maftoul grains share one pot, with fried onions going on top only at the very end. Every ingredient is on the list below, with no chicken, chickpeas, tomato or cumin in the pot.
Dry brown lentils go into hot olive oil and are stirred over high heat before any water reaches them. Later, a second pan does the same for the maftoul, and the grains and their oil are tipped into the lentil pot to finish under a lid. A third pan takes the onions to golden and caramelized, and they are piled over the fluffed grains on a platter.
This version comes from Um Hikmat, a Palestinian farmer from Deir Ballout, whose Maftoul Mujaddara was shared on a one-page recipe sheet from Zaytoun. It serves 4–6. It is one cook's way with maftoul, not the single form of the dish across Palestine. You can find more Palestinian dishes here.
This recipe has not been kitchen-tested by Sekai Gohan. The amounts, the order of work and the stated times come from Um Hikmat's sheet, but these points are our own editorial additions, not her instructions:
- Oil for the onions: the ingredient list gives 250ml olive oil in total, and the method names only 125ml for the lentils and 60ml for the maftoul. It gives no amount for the onions. The "about 65ml" used below is simply what remains, offered as a guide. It is neither the author's instruction nor a cooking-tested figure.
- Heat in the second stage: the sheet does not restate the heat for the final 20 minutes. Staying on the low heat set earlier is our interpretation.
- Turning off the heat: the sheet does not say what to do with the pot while the onions fry. Turning off the burner and leaving the lid on is our bridge between those steps.
- Yogurt: the sheet offers a side salad or natural yogurt. We show only the yogurt, and choosing a store-bought product made from pasteurized milk is our choice, not the author's condition.
Ingredients: Serves 4–6
Equipment
- Large pot with a lid, big enough to hold the lentils, water and maftoul
- Second pan for the maftoul
- Separate skillet for the onions
- Cutting board and knife
- Spoon for stirring
- Fork for fluffing
- Serving platter
- Small bowl for the yogurt, if serving
- Scale and measures for the ingredients
Choosing Lentils and Maftoul
Lentils: use dried brown lentils. Red lentils are not a swap for this recipe.
Maftoul: buy it dried. Rolling and sun-drying your own is not part of this recipe, and fine semolina couscous is not offered as a substitute. Ingredient lists vary by product, and some include seasoning such as cumin, so read the package. Check it for wheat and any other allergens too.
Yogurt: it is optional and contains milk. Leave it off if you need to avoid dairy.
Method
You will use three pans: one for the lentils, one for the maftoul and one for the onions. Only the first two come together.
What to Watch For
| What you notice | What to do |
|---|---|
| The pot seems short of liquid during the second stage | Add a little water, with no set amount, then replace the lid |
| You are unsure about the heat for the final 20 minutes | Stay on the low heat you already set. There is no need to turn it up |
| The onions are not golden yet | Keep frying. The color and caramelized look tell you when they are ready |
| You are tempted to stir the onions into the pot | Keep them in their own skillet until the grains are on the platter, then spread them on top |
| The grains look packed together in the pot | Fluff them with a fork before moving them to the platter |
Variations: Other Ways With Maftoul
These dishes are for comparison. None of their ingredients or methods are part of the recipe above.
| Version | What differs | How it relates here |
|---|---|---|
| Eat Palestine's maftoul | Maftoul steamed over chicken broth, served with chicken, chickpeas and spiced onions | A different dish structure, and a separate recipe with its own amounts |
| Serving suggestion on Mawasem's product page | Maftool eaten with tomato sauce, onions and spiced chicken | A product suggestion, not an addition to this pot |
| Um Hikmat's other serving option | A side salad in place of natural yogurt | Her sheet allows it, but we give no salad recipe here |
| Mujaddara made with rice | Rice takes the place of maftoul | A separate dish, not replaced by this one |
Maftoul in Palestinian Food
Travel Palestine, the portal of the Palestinian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, lists "Couscous / maftoul" among the items in its cuisine section and introduces maftoul as one of the traditional staples. We rely on it here for that place on the table, and we make no claim about the word's origin or the dish's history.
Mawasem's product page gives one concrete example of what maftoul can be. Its maftool lists bulgur, salt, wheat flour, water and cumin. The page names Beit Fourik under "Produced by", while New Farm Co. in Ramallah handles packing and quality control. This describes one product, not a definition for the whole region, and the cumin in it is no reason to add cumin to Um Hikmat's pot.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the recipe say about 65ml oil for the onions?
The ingredient list on both the Zaytoun sheet and the Ethical Superstore reproduction gives 250ml olive oil. Their methods name 125ml for the lentils and 60ml for the maftoul, and neither gives an amount for the onions. We found no separate version with a different figure. About 65ml is what remains, so we offer it as an editorial guide. It is not Um Hikmat's stated instruction and has not been proven by a test cook.
How much extra water should I add?
The sheet says only to add more water if needed and gives no amount. We don't set one either, and the addition isn't mandatory.
What heat do I use for the final 20 minutes?
The sheet doesn't say again. It lowers the heat before the first covered stage, and staying there is our editorial reading. Nothing in it calls for high heat at this stage.
How long does the whole dish take?
The sheet gives no total time and no frying time for the onions. Its only stated times are 3 minutes for the lentils in oil, 30 minutes covered, 3 minutes for the maftoul in oil and a further 20 minutes covered.
Can I use couscous or red lentils?
We don't offer either as a substitute, since this recipe is written for brown lentils and dried maftoul. The Ethical Superstore reproduction has a product link to red split lentils, but its text and the original sheet both call for brown or dry lentils, so we keep brown.
Do I need to soak the lentils?
The sheet has no soaking step. The dry lentils go straight into the hot oil.
Can I make the maftoul from scratch?
This recipe uses purchased dried maftoul. Hand-rolling and sun-drying are not covered here.
How should I store leftovers?
The sheet gives no storage or reheating guidance, so we don't add any here.
Sources
- Zaytoun / Natural Collection, "Palestinian Recipes: Maftoul Mujaddara," recipe shared by Palestinian farmer Um Hikmat. The main recipe: ingredients and amounts, 4–6 servings, all seven method steps, and the serving options of side salad or natural yogurt. https://www.naturalcollection.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Maftoul-Mujaddara.pdf
- Ethical Superstore blog, "Zaytoun Palestinian Recipes: Maftoul Mujaddara." A reproduction of the same recipe, not an independent version: 250ml oil in the ingredient list, 125ml and 60ml in the method, and no oil amount for the onions. https://www.ethicalsuperstore.com/blog/zaytoun-palestinian-recipes/zaytoun-palestinian-recipes-maftoul-mujaddara/
- Travel Palestine (Palestinian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities), "Cuisine." Couscous / maftoul as a listed item of Palestinian cuisine and a traditional staple. https://www.travelpalestine.ps/en/Category/2/Cuisine
- Mawasem, "Maftool — Mawasem. Natural taste of Palestine." One product's ingredients, its producer and packer, and its serving suggestion, used for comparison only. https://mawasem.ps/products/maftool/
- Eat Palestine, "Maftoul." A separate recipe with chicken, chickpeas and spiced onions, with maftoul steamed over chicken broth, used for comparison only. https://eatpalestine.com/recipes/maftoul/
