Muceddere – Bulgur Rice With Green Lentils

An easy vegan friendly iftar/dinner menu with local traditional dishes from the Southeastern part of Turkey Gaziantep. The main dish is “Muceddere” A bulgur rice with green lentils.

Muceddere or “Müceddere” as we write in Turkish, is a meal on its own, full of flavor and nutritious. But I wanted to serve it with mom-style Turkish köfte. I completed the menu with tarhana soup and seasonal salad. For the dessert, I made another recipe from both Ottoman times and famous in the Southeastern part again called “Astarlı Sütlaç” A two-layered pudding: first rice pudding and topped with “zerde” rose water and saffron-flavored rice pudding.

Ingredients For Muceddere:

• 1 cup green lentils (washes and cook with 2 cups of water until somewhat done) drain the access water if any.
• 1+1/2 cups thick bulgur wheat
• 1 big onion
• about 1/3 cup olive oil or a mix of olive oil and vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp each black pepper, red pepper flakes (pul biber), paprika
• 2 tsp or more salt
• For the topping
• 1 big size onion
• about 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1-2 tsp pul biber

How To Make Muceddere Pilav – Bulgur With Green Lentils:

Before you begin cooking fill about 1 liter of water in a kettle and begin to heat it, so it’s hot and ready when you need it. I usually use our Turkish double teapot or stove-top kettle since as is much cheaper than electric.

Cook The Bulgur:

• Wash, drain and cook 1 cup green lentils in 2 cups of water until it is cooked but still keeping its shape. Drain if there is any access water and set aside.
• In a medium-size pan saute 1 diced big onion in about 1/3 cup olive oil.
• Add thick bulgur and saute for 3-4 minutes.
  
• Add tomato paste, seasonings, and salt and stir for 2 more minutes.
  
• Pour 3 cups of hot water, stir. Then add drained cooked green lentils. Close the lid and simmer until the water is absorbed and the bulgur is fully cooked for about 10-15 minues. If the bulgur is still hard you can drizzle more hot water and continue to cook a bit more. Turn of the heat and rest for 10 minutes.
  

Sautéd Onion Topping:

• Dice 1 big onion, sauté with 1/4 cup olive oil for about 5 minutes on medium heat until it gets colors. Add pul biber, and cook for 30 more seconds.
• Pour over rested müceddere pilav and gently mix until corporated.

How To Complete The Muceddere Pilav Menu:

You can serve the muceddere pilav as it since it is a very nutritious and hearty meal like this. But I wanted to serve Turkish kofte on top of it. I also made a seasonal salad with some carrots, red cabbage, and fresh mint I had at home. It is even more simple to make it with a handy food processor like this or this low-budget version. Check different ones from here. Please refer to my video for details on how I made my salad.

Check These Iftar & Dinner Menus too:

Turkish Iftar Menu For Crowds / Kebab & Veggies, Dessert, Side dishes: https://youtu.be/tdS9cNle2yE
Tas Kebab & Vegetable Bulgur Pilav Iftar Menu https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P26vA9T8fkQ
Ramadan Iftar / Dinner Menu | 8 Recipes And Planning: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SY2-aqETeX0 5 Easy
Turkish Dinner & Iftar Menu Recipes In One Hour!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gs6yCG3fFBg
Complete dinner menu with 5 dishes: Borek, Beyti kofte kebab, green beans in olive oil, bulgur pilav, and strawberry ice cream. https://youtu.be/6VrBjw-sOWY

Print

Muceddere – Bulgur with green lentils dish

Muceddere or “Müceddere” as we write in Turkish, is a meal on its own, full of flavor and nutritious. But I wanted to serve it with mom-style Turkish köfte. I completed the menu with tarhana soup and seasonal salad. For the dessert, I made another recipe from both Ottoman times and famous in the Southeastern part again called “Astarlı Sütlaç” A two-layered pudding: first rice pudding and topped with “zerde” rose water and saffron-flavored rice pudding.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Turkish

Keyword bulgur pilav, bulgur with green lentils, gaziantep dishes, muceddere, vegan turkish dishes

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

resting time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Equipment

• 1 wide pan

Ingredients

• 1 cup green lentils washes and cook with 2 cups of water until somewhat done drain the access water if any.
• 1+1/2 cups thick bulgur wheat
• 1 big onion
• 1/3 cup olive oil or a mix of olive oil and vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp each black pepper red pepper flakes (pul biber), paprika
• 2 tsp or more salt

For the topping

• 1 big size onion
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1-2 tsp pul biber

Instructions

Cook The Bulgur:

• Wash, drain and cook 1 cup green lentils in 2 cups of water until it is cooked but still keeping its shape. Drain if there is any access water and set aside.
• In a medium-size pan saute 1 diced big onion in about 1/3 cup olive oil.
• Add thick bulgur and saute for 3-4 minutes.
• Add tomato paste, seasonings, and salt and stir for 2 more minutes.
• Pour 3 cups of hot water, stir. Then add drained cooked green lentils. Close the lid and simmer until the water is absorbed and the bulgur is fully cooked for about 10-15 minues. If the bulgur is still hard you can drizzle more hot water and continue to cook a bit more. Turn of the heat and rest for 10 minutes.

Sautéd Onion Topping:

• Muceddere pilav is topped with sauteed onion and pul biber for extra flavor
• Dice 1 big onion, sauté with 1/4 cup olive oil for about 5 minutes on medium heat until it gets colors. Add pul biber, and cook for 30 more seconds.
• Pour over rested müceddere pilav and gently mix until corporated.

Notes

How To Complete The Muceddere Pilav Menu:

You can serve the muceddere pilav as it since it is a very nutritious and hearty meal like this. But I wanted to serve Turkish kofte on top of it. I also made a seasonal salad with some carrots, red cabbage, and fresh mint I had at home. It is even more simple to make it with a handy food processor like this. Please refer to my video for details.