Best Arabian Rice Recipes

AL KABSA - ANCIENT ARABIAN CHICKEN AND FRAGRANT RICE

Steps:

• Slice the onion and garlic, cut the tomatoes in to wedges and chop the fresh coriander.
• Heat the oil in a casserole dish and add the onions, garlic - sauté for 3 to 5 minutes, then add chicken and cook for a further 5 minutes. Add the rice and sauté for about 3 minutes before adding the tomato, spices, salt and dried limes.
• Add water just enough to cover the rice mixture and bring to boil, turn the heat down and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Remove from heat, stir in the sultanas and almonds, then leave for further 10 minutes with the lid on.
• Remove the lid, stir well and serve with the following sauce.
• Accompanying Sauce.
• Skin the tomatoes and mix all the ingredients together, season to taste.
• Serve the Kabsa with the tomato sauce and flatbreads.
• NB. If making up the Kabsa spice mixture fresh - grind all the spices together in a coffee grinder or a food processor/mixer, or with a pestle and mortar.

ARABIAN ROAST LAMB FIT FOR A KING AND QUEEN, WITH SPICED RICE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425F degrees. Wash and trim the lamb of any excess fat, and pat dry with a clean cloth.
• Rub the leg of lamb all over with the spices, salt, pepper, and oil. Place it in a large roasting pan and put it into the preheated oven. After 20 minutes, take the pan out of the oven, pour in 4 1/4 cups water, and add the onion and garlic. Cover the meat with a large sheet of foil and put it back in the oven. Lower the heat to 300F degrees, and cook for 3 hours.
• While the meat is cooking, prepare the rice. Wash the rice in cold water, rinse in a fine mesh strainer under cold running water, and drain. In a large pan, fry the onion in 2 tablespoons oil until it is soft and beginning to color. Add the ground beef and cook, stirring, turning it over and crushing it with a fork to break up any lumps, until it has changed color. Add salt and pepper and all the spices: cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and cloves. Stir well and add the rice, then stir again.
• Pour in the boiling stock, mix well, and simmer, covered, for about 10 to 20 minutes until the rice is tender. Add a little stock or water if it becomes too dry. Drain (if necessary) and keep it on the side until you are ready to serve.
• Fry the almonds, pistachios, and pine nuts separately in the remaining oil until they just begin to color. When the leg of lamb is ready, place it on a serving dish with the rice. You can cut the meat off the bone into slices, if you wish. Sprinkle the fried nuts all over the rice. Serve the flavorsome meat broth produced at the bottom of the roasting pan as a sauce. Heat it through and serve it in a jug, first pouring off as much of the fat from the top as you can.

RICE WITH DATES (ARABIAN PENINSULA)

Steps:

• Place the rice in a heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water. Let stand 30 minutes to 1 hour then drain in a fine mesh strainer.
• Place the drained rice in a pot with *2 cups* of water and bring to the boil then cover and simmer on low for 10 minutes.
• In the meantime, melt 3 tablespoons butter in a small pan and cook the almonds until starting to brown, stirring often.
• Stir in the dates, raisins, ground cinnamon or cinnamon stick and cloves.
• Turn heat down to low and cook covered for 15 minutes or until the mixture is soft and gooey, stirring often. (Do not overcook or let dry out.).
• After the rice has cooked 10 minutes, remove the pot from the burner without taking off the lid and let stand for 15 minutes.
• Drain the rice in a strainer under warm water and then place half of the rice back in the pot, flattening and spreading it around evenly.
• Dot the first layer of rice with 1 tablespoon of butter.
• Now arrange the cooked almond-date mixture over the rice, spreading it around and flattening with a spatula. Spoon the rest of the rice on top, again spreading it around and flattening the top then dot with 1 tablespoons of butter.
• Invert a heatproof plate on top of the rice or as I did-fold up a tea towel and place it on top of the pot. Cover the pot with the lid and cook on very low heat for 15 minutes.
• After 15 minutes of cooking, remove the pot (but keep the lid on the pot!) to another burner and set aside for another 15 minutes.
• Invert the pot of rice onto a serving platter.
• Serve hot.

RICE WITH CARAMELIZED SHALLOTS FROM MELISSA D'ARABIAN

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, add the butter. When the butter has melted add the shallots and saute until very soft, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in the rice and add a pinch of salt.
• Raise the heat to high and cook, stirring to toast the rice, about 1 minute.
• Add the wine and cook until reduced by half.
• Pour in the stock and water and bring the mixture to a boil. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer until the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes.
• Season with salt, to taste. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve.

ARABIAN RICE AROZ MOFALFAL

Steps:

• Break vermicelli noodles in small pieces; fry with butter till slightly brown.
• Add boiling water and salt. Stir till boiling.
• Add rice slowly. Let it boil before covering. Stir.
• Put a thin layer of tin foil under the pan to prevent burning. Reduce heat to low and leave to cook for 30 minutes.
• Open the pan. Stir the top and see if rice is done. If rice is still a little hard, cover and cook longer.
• Serve with any vegetables.

ARABIAN RICE

Steps:

• Place rice in a bowl with cold water and leave to soak for 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat the oil and butter in a large heavy saucepan, add the chopped onion and minced meat and fry until golden brown and breaking down any lumps in the mince.
• Add the broken vermicelli and fry for another 5-10 minutes till slightly brown.
• Drain and wash the rice till water runs clean.
• Add the rice into the pan and give it a good stir (but be careful as to not break the rice in the process).
• Add in all the spices and mix it in well.
• Add in the boiling-hot stock and give it all one good stir.
• Cover the pan and simmer over low heat for about 15-20 minutes (till all the water's been absorbed and rice cooked through).
• Take the pan off the heat, take the lid off and cover the pan with a clean towel and leave to rest for 10 minutes.
• Gently fluff up the rice with a fork and serve with pine seeds sprinkled on top.