Mumawwash (Bahraini Rice with Mung Beans and Fried Onions)
Local name: مموش
In short: Basmati rice cooked with green mung beans, turmeric and cumin, topped with a heap of deeply browned onions and served with a fresh salad and chili sauce. It takes about 1 h 45 min in total and makes 6 servings.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 1 h 20 min
- Resting
- 2 h
- Total
- 1 h 45 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 440 kcal
Mumawwash is a humble Gulf rice and bean dish, loved in Bahrain as an everyday lunch. Whole green mung beans are boiled until almost soft, then cooked with the rice and a handful of warm spices, and the whole pot is topped with sweet fried onions. It is often eaten with a salad and a tomato chili sauce. It is filling, cheap and easy to scale up for a crowd.
Instructions
- Drain the soaked mung beans and put them in a pot with the water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 25 minutes until nearly tender. Drain, keeping 650 ml (2 3/4 cups) of the cooking liquid.
- Heat the oil in a wide heavy pot over medium heat. Fry the onions for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring often, until deep golden brown. Lift out half and set aside for topping.
- To the onions left in the pot, add the turmeric, cumin, cinnamon, dried lime and salt and stir for 30 seconds.
- Add the drained rice and the beans and stir for 1 minute. Pour in the hot reserved liquid and bring to a boil.
- Boil uncovered until the liquid is level with the rice, about 7 minutes. Cover tightly and cook on the lowest heat for 15 minutes, then rest for 10 minutes.
- Fluff the rice, spread it on a platter and top with the reserved onions. Serve with a fresh salad and a spicy tomato sauce.
Tips
- Do not skip soaking the beans, or they will stay firm while the rice overcooks. Check a bean after the first simmer: it should be soft outside but have a slight bite.
- Brown the onions slowly, since they give the rice its color and sweetness. If they darken too fast, lower the heat and add a spoonful of water. Brown lentils can replace the mung beans with a shorter first simmer of 15 minutes.
Questions and answers
What do you serve with mumawwash?
A cucumber and tomato salad, a spicy tomato chili sauce and pickled vegetables go well with it.
Can I make it ahead?
Yes. It keeps for 4 days in the fridge and reheats well with a splash of water, covered.
Are mung beans the same as lentils?
They are related but not identical. Mung beans are small green legumes that keep their shape well in rice dishes, while lentils cook faster and are softer.
How long does it take to make Mumawwash (Bahraini Rice with Mung Beans and Fried Onions)?
About 1 h 45 min in total: 25 min of preparation and 1 h 20 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Mumawwash (Bahraini Rice with Mung Beans and Fried Onions)?
About 440 kcal per serving, with 15 g of protein, 72 g of carbohydrates and 10 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 440 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 15 g |
| Carbohydrates | 72 g |
| Fat | 10 g |
| Fiber | 10 g |
| Sugar | 8 g |
| Sodium | 780 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
