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

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.

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

resting time 10 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Turkish

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.

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