Lebanese Yellow Rice Food

LEBANESE RESTAURANT RICE PILAF

Steps:

• Soak rice in a bowl of water for 10 minutes; drain and rinse until the water runs clear.
• Heat 1/4 cup butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil together in a skillet over medium heat; cook and stir orzo until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add drained rice and increase heat to medium-high. Cook and stir orzo-rice mixture until rice is coated in butter-oil mixture and starts to turn translucent, about 5 minutes.
• Pour water over rice mixture and season with salt; stir and bring to a boil. Cover skillet, reduce heat to low, and simmer until rice is fluffy and tender yet firm, about 20 minutes.
• Heat remaining olive oil in a separate skillet over medium heat; cook and stir almonds until toasted and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add remaining butter and stir in tahini until almonds are evenly coated. Mix almond mixture into rice mixture.

YELLOW RICE

Steps:

• Put all the ingredients in a large pan with 1 tsp salt and 500ml water, then heat until boiling and the butter has melted.
• Stir, cover and leave to simmer for 6 mins. Take off the heat and leave, still covered, for 5 mins. Fluff up and tip into a warm bowl to serve.

LEBANESE LENTILS, RICE AND CARAMELIZED ONIONS (MUJADARA)

Steps:

• Throw the lentils into a medium saucepan. Fill with enough cold water to cover the lentils by about an inch. Bring it to a boil over medium-high heat, then turn down to a simmer and cook until the lentils are tender but not mushy, about 20 minutes. Drain and set aside.
• Meanwhile, as the lentils cook, grab a large skillet. Pop it over medium-high heat and add the oil. Allow the oil to warm for a minute, then drop in the cumin seeds and cracked peppercorns and cook, shaking the pan once in a while until the cumin seeds darken a touch, about 1 minute.
• Add the onions, sprinkle with a dash of salt and cook until they turn dark caramel brown, stirring often. This will take about 15 minutes. Splash the onions with a little water if they stick to the bottom of the pan. You'll know they're done both by their deep chestnut color and by the slight crispiness developing on some of the onions.
• Using a slotted spoon or spatula, remove about half of the onions to a paper towel-lined plate; these are for garnish later. Sprinkle in the ground cumin, cayenne and then add the cinnamon stick; saute about 1 minute.
• Add the rice and cook, stirring often (but gently so you don't break the rice!) until some rice grains start to brown. Quickly, add the cooked lentils, 3 cups of water and 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt; bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to low so that the pan is at a simmer, cover and cook 30 minutes. The water should be completely evaporated and rice should be tender. (If there's still too much water in the bottom, put the lid back on and cook for another 5 minutes.)
• Turn off the heat, keep the lid on, and allow the rice to steam undisturbed for about 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, toast the pine nuts, if using, in a small skillet over medium-low heat, shaking often, about 5 minutes.
• Taste the rice for seasoning. Serve with the reserved caramelized onions, toasted pine nuts, if using, and a little squeeze of lemon juice. I also like to serve this with some dollops of Greek yogurt.

HOW TO MAKE YELLOW RICE

Steps:

• Heat butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the rice and gently stir until rice begins to lightly brown.
• Add garlic, onion powder, and turmeric and stir until well mixed in.
• Slowly stir in chicken broth and raise heat to medium-high. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bring the mix to a boil then turn the heat to low and cover the pan with a lid. Simmer for 20 to 25 minutes.
• Remove from heat and add cilantro, and fluff with a fork. Serves 4.

YELLOW RICE

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, heat the turmeric, cumin, and cinnamon over low heat until fragrant, stirring, about 30 seconds. Add the water, salt, and butter and bring to a boil. Add the rice and stir well. Cover and reduce heat to a bare simmer. Cook, covered, without stirring until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender, about 20 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and let sit, covered, without stirring, for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork, add scallions, and serve.

BASIC YELLOW RICE

Steps:

• Heat butter in large, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots; cook and stir until softened and translucent, about 3 minutes. Pour in rice, garlic, salt, turmeric, coriander, cumin, and bay leaves. Continue to cook and stir for 3 minutes. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until broth is absorbed and rice is tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Remove from heat. Discard bay leaves. Transfer to a bowl.

25 AUTHENTIC LEBANESE FOODS

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MUJADARA (LEBANESE LENTILS AND RICE)

Steps:

• Over high heat olive oil in pot and add finely sliced onion, fry until dark brown, set onion aside
• In the same pot, using same oil fry finely diced onion until lightly golden
• Add lentils and salt. Submerge in water (covering lentils at least 1cm above), cook on med-high heat until lentils are par boiled
• Add rice and bring to the boil, reduce heat to low and allow contents to cook, stirring no more than three times. This should take around 15 minutes
• Serve topped with caramelised onion

LEBANESE LAMB AND RICE

Steps:

• Brown lamb in a bit of butter and set aside.
• Saute' onion in rest of butter, until tender.
• Add the rice, then saute' until rice is barely golden brown.
• Add the water, pinenuts, cinnamon, allspice, cooked lamb and salt.
• Bring to boil, cover and reduce heat to low, cook 30 minutes or until rice is done.
• NOTE: This can be used with lamb that is cut up in bite size pieces also.
• If there is a bone in the lamb, you can add more flavor to the dish by browning the bone and letting it cook with the rice, then remove the bone when serving the dish (but of course you know that).

LEBANESE KOOSA (STUFFED YELLOW SQUASH)

Steps:

• Cut stems from squash and scoop out seeds. Because of the small size of the squash, you may twirl a knife in the flesh to scrape the seeds. The most effective method is to take a flat handle silver spoon and use the handle end to scrape out the seeds. You may rinse out the inside with water.
• Heat olive oil in pan over medium heat.
• Slice onion and add to hot olive oil.
• Let fry for about 3-5 minutes while you make the stuffing.
• In a large bowl, combine lamb, rice, and spices. The best method is to get in it with your hands and just smoosh and mix without any sort of utensils.
• Add cans of tomato sauce and diced tomato to the onions.
• Stuff squash with mixture. Leave about a half inch to a quarter inch of room at the end as the rice will expand. Also, do not pack too tightly as the expanding rice will break the squash.
• Add the stuffed squashes to the pan.
• Chop the garlic cloves into fine pieces and sprinkle between the squash in the pan.
• Add water to just cover the squash and let simmer over medium heat for 40 minutes.
• Squeeze a few drops fresh lemon juice over squash and sprinkle a pinch of mint.
• Allow to cook another 10 minutes or so.
• **Note** I have made this several more times and revised only the cooking time slightly. I found it somewhat easier to cut the squashes in half from the start. Additionally, I always test the filling to make sure the rice is fully cooked.