Arabian Rice

Total Time: 55 mins Preparation Time: 35 mins Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 1 1/2 cups long grain rice
• 1/2 cup thin vermicelli, broken into small pieces
• 200 g lean ground lamb or 200 g beef
• 4 tablespoons oil
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon pepper powder
• 2 teaspoons ground allspice
• salt, to taste
• 800 ml chicken stock
• 50 g pine nuts, lightly roasted

Recipe

• 1 place rice in a bowl with cold water and leave to soak for 20 minutes.
• 2 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.
• 3 add the broken vermicelli and fry for another 5-10 minutes till slightly brown.
• 4 drain and wash the rice till water runs clean.
• 5 add the rice into the pan and give it a good stir (but be careful as to not break the rice in the process).
• 6 add in all the spices and mix it in well.
• 7 add in the boiling-hot stock and give it all one good stir.
• 8 cover the pan and simmer over low heat for about 15-20 minutes (till all the water's been absorbed and rice cooked through).
• 9 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.
• 10 gently fluff up the rice with a fork and serve with pine seeds sprinkled on top.