Lentils with rice-Fakorizo is a dish found in Cyprus, the Greek islands and the Middle East. Apart from being delicious, it’s a filling, hearty meal with high nutritional value. It can be ready in 30 minutes with just a few easy pantry ingredients.
If you love these lentils with rice, you will also love this Greek lentil soup, lentil sausage soup or lentil and spinach soup!
Why this recipe sings
Some cool facts
The combination of lentils and rice is found all over Greece, Cyprus, and the Eastern Mediterranean.
In Crete, they call it fakorizo. It usually consists of leftover lentil soup combined with rice. In the old days, when funds and food were scarce, mixing already cooked lentils with rice made use for the leftovers and created enough food for one more day.
In Cyprus, it is called moudjentra/ moujentra/moutzentra and is made from scratch with lentils and rice.
In the Middle East, they serve the dish with caramelized onions. You will find it as mujadara, or mujadarah, majadra, mejadra, etc
Here is what you need
- Lentils. The most common variety of lentils in Greece is the medium-sized brown lentil. They taste great and hold their shape after cooking. Black “caviar” lentils would also work well in this dish.
- Rice. I use white basmati or long-grain rice, like Carolina. That said, I made this recipe with arborio rice, which was delicious. So use whatever you have handy.
- Onions. I am borrowing the caramelized onions from the Cypriot and middle eastern versions because it works so well with this dish. In most recipes in the Greek region, the onions are diced and cooked with rice and lentils. Some recipes call for sliced onions cooked in olive oil. In this recipe, I like caramelized, crispy onions. I cook them longer with no added sugar, and they develop a lovely sweet flavor and a bit of crunch.
- Lemon. The lemon adds bright notes and freshness to this dish.
- Cumin, sea salt, and freshly ground pepper. If you are a fan of cinnamon you can add some as well.
- Extra virgin olive oil.
How to make it
Add the onions and cook for 20-25 minutes…
Fill with water and bring to a boil. Cook for 5 minutes.
Drain lentils and return them to the pot.
Pour in 4 cups boiling water, cover the stockpot and cook for 10 minutes.
Discard the bay leaf, add the rice and the juice from the lemon. Season with sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and a teaspoon of cumin lower the heat and cook for 20 minutes, covered.
Serve lentils and rice topped with reserved onions in bowls with olives, warm bread, and taramosalata to share on the table.
Dishes to enjoy with lentils and rice
Fakorizo-lentils and rice is a filling and satisfying dish that can be enjoyed on its own, but it can also be paired with a variety of sides and proteins. For example, you could serve it alongside a bowl of homemade yogurt or a fresh tomato salad or green salad. If you’re in the mood for protein, grilled chicken, lamb, or beef would be great options to complement the mujadara. Additionally, it makes for a delicious side dish to souvlaki with pita or chicken meatballs.
Helpful FAQS
Leftovers can be kept fresh by storing them in an airtight container and refrigerating them for up to 4 days. When it’s time to reheat, simply place them in a pan, add 2 tablespoons of water, cover, and cook on medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes until it’s fully heated through.
If you want to make a big batch of rice and lentils, you can freeze them for later use. All you have to do is transfer the mixture into freezer-safe containers and freeze them for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to serve, you can either use a microwave or transfer the rice to a small pot, add ⅓ cup water, cover, and heat over medium-low heat until it’s warm and heated through
The best variety to use are medium size brown lentils. They are the most common variety used in Greece. They taste great and hold their shape after cooking.
Yes you can. Mujadara hamra, a Lebanese dish, is prepared using coarse bulgur instead of rice. To achieve an al dente texture, the ideal bulgur to water ratio is 1 ½ cups of water per cup of bulgur. However, if you prefer a softer consistency, you can increase the water ratio to 1 ¾ cups.
You can also use quinoa. To cook it, the standard ratio is 1 part quinoa to 2 parts liquid.
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Lentils And Rice
Equipment
- Stockpot
- Skillet
- Mesh strainers
Ingredients
- 11 oz green lentils 300 gr
- 1 litre boiling water 4 cups
- 1 bay leaf
- 3½ oz basmati rice ½ cup
- 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- sea salt
- freshly ground pepper
- 3 onions sliced
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
for serving
- Greek olives
- bread
- taramosalata
Instructions
- Put the lentils and the bay leaf in a stockpot.Fill with water and bring to a boil. Cook for 5 minutes.
- Drain lentils and return them to the pot. Pour in 4 cups boiling water, cover the stockpot and cook for 10 minutes.
- Discard the bay leaf, add the rice and the juice from the lemon. Season with sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and a teaspoon of cumin lower the heat and cook for 20 minutes, covered.
- In a skillet warm up the olive oil.Add the onions and cook for 20-25 minutes until the onions have caramelized.
- Save some of the onions for garnish.Stir the remaining onions into the lentil and rice and mix.
- Serve lentils and rice immediately topped with reserved onions in bowls with olives, warm bread, and taramosalata.
Notes
Nutrition
We made this as a side dish to serve with lemon chicken. It turned it out great – very flavorful and very filling too!
The Fakorizo was an absolute delight! Served it with a side of Greek salad. Thanks a bunch for sharing a delicious and authentic recipe—it’s like a taste of Greece in our own kitchen! 🍚🥗👩🍳😋
We’ve been on a lentil kick, so I was excited to find this recipe. It turned out delicious and was so simple to make. Thank you!
I’m so happy to find this recipe, looking to change up my normal lentil recipes. This looks like it will be tasty addition, thanks!
How delicious and comforting this is, and I love how simple it is to prepare. The wonderful flavours of lemon and cumin remind me of spending time in Greece.
I love the simplicity of this dish! Made it last night, as I had some leftover lentils from another recipe. I served it with just fried eggs on side, and it was utterly delicious!
This recipe is great, thank you for sharing this to us! Gotta try to make this later and enjoy it by myself!
I made this recipe and it was a hit. It is so delicious and so easy to make!
I like how simple, easy, quick, and delicious this recipe is. I made this for my family and they love it!
Loved the taste of this dish. It was really easy to prepare, and really tasty as a side dish for our Sunday meal! Lentils and rice are such a beautiful combination