Middle-Eastern style Vermicelli Rice is a staple rice dish made by toasting vermicelli noodles (tiny thin pasta) in ghee until golden, and then cooking it with long-grain rice (usually basmati and sometimes mixed with jasmine). The vermicelli noodles make for a fluffy rice with great texture.
Here’s how its made
Wash the Rice: Begin by rinsing the basmati rice under cold water about 6-10 times or until the water runs clear. This helps remove excess starch which will make for fluffy rice. Once finished rinsing the rice, I recommend to cover it with fresh cold water and allow it to soak while you prepare for the next steps.
Toast the Vermicelli: In a medium saucepan (this is my favourite pan for making rice) heat ghee for about 1 minute. Add the vermicelli noodles and toast them, stirring often for about 30-60 seconds. Pay attention to the stove and careful not to burn them!
Toast the Rice: Once the vermicelli is toasted, add the rinsed basmati rice to the saucepan, stirring to combine with the vermicelli. Toast the rice for 1-2 minutes and make sure it gets coated in the ghee.
Cook the Rice: Add the water (+ a chicken bouillon cube) or chicken broth to the pan, and a pinch of salt. Bring it to a vigourous boil, Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 15-20 minutes then remove from the heat and keep covered for an additional 5 minutes.
Fluff and Serve: Fluff the rice gently with a fork and optionally add 1 tbsp of butter per cup of rice and keep covered with a lid.
What to serve with Middle-Eastern vermicelli rice?
This side dish that pairs beautifully with a variety of mains. It’s often served alongside grilled meats like chicken, lamb, or beef, as well as stews (like my mlookhiyeh recipe) and kebabs.
Middle-Eastern Vermicelli Rice
Basmati rice and vermicili noodles are toasted in ghee and cooked together in chicken broth to create tender fluffy rice. The dish is typically served as a side to complement main courses like stews, grilled meats, or kebabs. It's a comforting, aromatic staple in many Middle Eastern kitchens.
Ingredients
Note
- Flavouring the rice: This is a very bare-bones recipe for middle-eastern style rice. Depending on the flavours you're after, the rice can be spiced up by adding ingredients like cardamom pods, cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, etc to the water as the rice cooks.
