Today we’re heading to Lebanon—a country where cooking has been elevated to an art form, and every dish holds millennia of Mediterranean history. We’ll make two iconic Lebanese dishes that will win you over with their contrasting flavors and textures.
A legendary Lebanese dish of lentils and rice, crowned with a mountain of crisp, golden fried onions. Its flavor is deep and earthy, with a spicy note of cumin and the sweetness of caramelized onions. This is that very “poor man’s food” that conquered the whole Middle East and became a pride of the Lebanese table.
Ingredients:
• Green or brown lentils — 200 g
• Long-grain rice (basmati) — 150 g
• Large onions — 4
• Olive oil — 100 ml
• Vegetable oil for frying — 150 ml
• Ground cumin — 1.5 tsp
• Ground cinnamon — 0.5 tsp
• Salt — to taste
• Ground black pepper — 0.5 tsp
• Water — 600 ml
Preparation:
Step 1. Sort through the lentils and rinse them in cold water until the water runs clear. Pour in 400 ml of water and set over medium heat. Bring to a boil, skim off the foam, and cook for 15–20 minutes. The lentils should become tender but hold their shape—don’t cook them down into mush.
Step 2. Rinse the rice through 3–4 changes of cold water, until the water runs clear. Soak the rice in warm water for 15 minutes, then drain.
Step 3. Peel the onions and slice them into thin half-rings, 2–3 mm thick. Divide them into two portions: three onions will be fried until crisp, one will be braised with the rice and lentils.
Step 4. In a deep frying pan or saucepan, heat the vegetable oil (150 ml) over medium heat to 170 °C. Fry three-quarters of the sliced onion in batches, stirring, for 8–12 minutes, until deep golden brown and distinctly crisp. Transfer the cooked onions to a paper towel. A sign they’re ready: the onions have darkened evenly and feel firm and crisp.
Step 5. In a heavy-bottomed pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Fry the remaining onion (one onion) for 5–6 minutes, until soft and lightly golden. Add the cumin and cinnamon, stir, and warm for 30 seconds, until the spices release their aroma.
Step 6. Add the cooked lentils and soaked rice to the onion. Pour in 200 ml of water (or the remaining lentil cooking liquid), season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 18–20 minutes. A sign it’s ready: the rice has fully absorbed the liquid, the grains are tender and fluffy, and no water remains at the bottom.
Step 7. Remove the pot from the heat and, without lifting the lid, leave it to stand for 10 minutes—the rice will finish steaming through. Then gently fluff it with a fork, pile it onto a large platter, and generously cover it with crisp fried onions. Serve with plain yogurt and a fresh tomato-and-cucumber salad.
💡 Fact: Mujaddara is mentioned in 13th-century Arab culinary treatises. According to legend, it was this lentil dish that the biblical Esau traded for his birthright. In Lebanon, mujaddara is considered “the food of the wise”—simple, yet incredibly nourishing and delicious.
The famous Lebanese “spicy fish” from Tripoli—whole fish or fillets, baked in the oven beneath a piquant sauce of tahini, walnuts, cilantro, garlic, and chili pepper. The dish looks lavish: golden fish beneath a nutty crust, bright with fresh herbs. On the palate, it is a meeting of delicate fish, the nutty depth of tahini, and burning heat.
Ingredients:
• White fish fillets (sea bass, sea bream, or cod) — 800 g (4 fillets)
• Tahini (sesame paste) — 3 tbsp
• Walnuts — 80 g
• Fresh cilantro — 1 large bunch (50 g)
• Garlic — 6 cloves
• Fresh chili peppers — 1–2 (to taste)
• Lemon juice — 3 tbsp
• Olive oil — 80 ml
• Onions — 2
• Ground coriander — 1 tsp
• Ground cumin — 0.5 tsp
• Paprika — 1 tsp
• Pine nuts (or extra walnuts) — 30 g, for serving
• Salt — to taste
• Black pepper — to taste
Preparation:
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 200 °C. Rinse the fish fillets and pat them dry with paper towels. Rub each fillet with salt, black pepper, and 1 tbsp of olive oil. Place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 12–15 minutes. A sign they’re ready: the flesh has turned opaque and flakes easily when pressed with a fork.
Step 2. While the fish bakes, make the sauce. Dice the onions finely, into 3–4 mm pieces. In a large frying pan, heat 50 ml of olive oil over medium heat. Fry the onions for 7–8 minutes, stirring, until soft and golden.
Step 3. Finely chop the garlic with a knife (don’t crush it in a press—the texture matters). Slice the chili peppers lengthwise, remove the seeds, and cut them into thin 1–2 mm rings. Add the garlic and chili to the onions and fry for 1–2 minutes, until the garlic releases its vivid aroma. Do not let the garlic brown.
Step 4. Roughly chop the walnuts with a knife into 5–7 mm pieces. Finely chop the cilantro, setting aside a few sprigs for garnish. Add the ground coriander, cumin, and paprika to the onion-garlic mixture, stir, and warm for 30 seconds. Then add the walnuts and cilantro and mix.
Step 5. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the tahini and lemon juice, mixing thoroughly. If the sauce is too thick, add 2–3 tbsp of warm water. The consistency should resemble thick sour cream—the sauce should cling to a spoon, yet flow off it easily. Taste for salt and heat, and adjust.
Step 6. Take the fish out of the oven. Evenly cover each fillet with a generous layer of walnut-tahini sauce, about 1 cm thick. Return the baking sheet to the oven and bake for another 8–10 minutes at 200 °C. A sign it’s ready: the sauce has lightly set on top, the edges are beginning to turn golden, and an intense nutty aroma fills the kitchen.
Step 7. In a separate dry frying pan over low heat, toast the pine nuts for 2–3 minutes, shaking the pan constantly, until evenly golden. Stay alert—they burn in seconds.
Step 8. Transfer the finished fish to a serving platter, sprinkle with toasted pine nuts, and garnish with fresh sprigs of cilantro. Serve immediately with Lebanese bread or fluffy rice and lemon wedges.
💡 Fact: Samke harra comes from Tripoli—the second-largest city in Lebanon, renowned for its fish cuisine. Its name literally translates as “spicy fish.” The dish is traditionally made on Fridays and for festive feasts. Every Lebanese family has its own recipe, but three pillars remain unchanged: tahini, nuts, and cilantro.