The Lebanese foods-cape is covered with stews accompanied by a side of rice. Lebanese rice is very simple unlike other popular spice infused rice dishes coming out of the middle east. The main flavour in Lebanese rice is brought on by the toasted vermicelli noodles.
While our way of making rice is rather plain, it’s riddled with childhood memories just the same. In our home Lebanese rice and yogurt was a favourite dish as kids and mama’s lazy lunch. To us it was a treat, almost a special occasion that we got to eat a plate of rice and homemade yogurt. To our mama it was a way to get us fed without complaints and with little effort on her part. It never stops to amaze me how these seemingly minor details brought us such joy in our childhood.
We will help you make this not so fancy and definitely not difficult rice, because we practically have it down to a science.
Lebanese rice with vermicelli {رز لبناني}
Ingredients
- 1 cup long grain rice
- 1.5 cups water
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup vermicelli noodles
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
Instructions
- Place pot on high heat; add oil and vermicelli noodles.
- Continuously stir noodles until they reach a golden color.Tip: keep a close eye on the noodles toast, they can go from golden to burnt really fast.
- Add washed rice, salt and water.
- Bring to a boil for 2-3 minutes; cover and reduce heat to low.
- Set a timer to 20 minutes; fluff with a fork and enjoy.Tip: depending on your stove and sometimes the rice, cook time might vary slightly.