Middle Eastern Rice Recipe
Total Time
25 minutes
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
15 minutes
Rating
4.7 out of 5 stars
(3)
Ingredients
5 servings
- 2 cups white basmati rice, rinsed and drained well (see notes for brown basmati rice)
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 3 cups water
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or ghee
- 2 shallots, sliced
- 2-4 tablespoons pine nuts or use slivered almonds
- lemon zest from one lemon
- 1 tablespoon zaatar, sprinkle more on as desired
- Garnish: fresh herbs like dill, Italian parsley, or mint, and black pepper
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Preparation
Step 1
Cook the basmati rice. Heat olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat, add rice, and stir until nutty and fragrant, about 3-4 minutes.
Step 2
Add water and salt, give a good stir and bring to a boil over high heat.
Step 3
Once boiling, slowly lower heat to medium-low (retaining that simmer) and cover tightly using a thin kitchen towel between the pot and the lid to create a tighter seal (see photo). Be sure your rice is simmering before you set the timer for 15 minutes.
Step 4
After 15 minutes, take a quick peek to see if all the water is cooked off (look for the steam holes), replace the lid, turn the heat off, and let stand for 5-10 minutes.
Step 5
While the rice is cooking, make the topping
Step 6
Heat olive oil over medium heat in a skillet. Saute shallots until golden brown, stirring often. Add the lemon zest and pinenuts and saute 3 more minutes, or until pinenuts are golden. Turn the heat off and stir in the zaatar spice, toasting it a bit.
Step 7
Fluff the basmati rice with a fork, separate the grains, and place it in a shallow serving dish. Spoon the shallot mixture all around the top of the rice. Add more salt if you like, to taste (keep in mind, some zaatar has salt), and garnish with fresh herbs.
Step 8
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