Lebanese Rice
Side
Ingredients
2 cups long grain white rice
½ cup vermicelli durum wheat semolina
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
dash cinnamon optional
parsley optional, for garnish
Directions
Rinse the rice with cold water until the water runs clear. Drain well and set aside.
1 In a medium non-stick pot, heat the olive oil on medium heat. Add the vermicelli pasta and cook, stirring frequently until all the vermicelli is a deep golden brown color. Be careful not to burn it.
2 Transfer the rice over the cooked vermicelli, and stir to combine and coat the rice with the olive oil. Season with salt and a dash of cinnamon, if desired.
Add 4 cups water and bring the mixture to a boil. The water will reduce in the process. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot and cook for 15 minutes.
When the rice is fully cooked, remove from the heat and allow the rice to steam for 5 minutes. Then uncover and fluff with a fork.
Serve warm with fresh parsley, and toasted nuts, if desired.
Notes
Storage:
Store any leftovers in an airtight container. They will last about 5-7 days in the fridge.
Sourcing:
You can find the vermicelli pasta at Middle Eastern markets, natural-foods stores or even in large supermarkets, often located with other Middle Eastern ingredients.
Substitutes: For best results, follow the recipe as is. However if you can’t find vermicelli pasta, you can use capellini pasta (thinner than spaghetti) and just break it into smaller pieces. I would avoid using spaghetti since the size is so much larger.
TIPS TO MAKE THE BEST LEBANESE RICE:
1 Soak the rice if you have time. You can use a fine mesh strainer to rinse the rice and rub the grains of rice between your fingers. Then transfer the rice to a large bowl and allow it to soak with water for at least 20 minutes. This helps eliminate excess starch from the rice and allows for even cooking for each grain of rice (on the inside and outside) which all means fluffy non-sticky rice!
2 Use long grain rice (like basmati), and not short grain rice. The difference in the grain size will ensure that the rice doesn’t get clumpy. I would also recommend cooking the rice with the vermicelli for an extra minute before adding the water. You want to coat the rice with the olive oil, which adds to the toasted flavor and reduces any clump factor.
3 Stir vermicelli frequently for even toasting. Not only are you looking for a deep golden brown color, but you also want to make sure that all the little noodles are evenly toasted. This helps to even out the flavor and gives it an overall nutty toasted taste. Just make sure to keep a close eye on it it so it doesn’t burn.
4 Cover the pot with a clean dish towel after it’s done cooking. The towel helps to seal the lid and absorb the steam so that rice stays fluffy and unclumped.
Nutrition
Calories: 251kcal, Carbohydrates: 48g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 3g, Sodium: 173mg, Potassium: 53mg, Calcium: 15mg, Iron: 0.5mg
Serving Size: Each serving is ¾ cup cooked rice (which is approximately ¼ cup dry rice).