Mediterranean Rice Pilaf
Aromatic, fluffy with a hint of sweetness, this rice pilaf is a pleasure to the eye and a feast in your mouth.
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time40 mins
Total Time55 mins
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Mediterranean, Middle East
Diet: Halal
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 197kcal
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar.
- 1 cup onion diced.
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon.
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- A dash of ground cloves.
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste.
- 1 ½ cups jasmine rice
- 1 ½ Tablespoons ghee.
- 2 ¼ cup water or chicken stock.
- 1 Tablespoon tomato paste.
For the nut mixture:
- 1 Tablespoons ghee or butter.
- ½ cup raisins.
- ¼ cup dried apricot sliced.
- ¼ cup pistachios.
- ½ cup almonds.
In a small bowl, soak raisins in some hot water for 15-20 minutes.
In a pan over medium heat, add sugar and keep stirring until it caramelizes and turns amber color.
Add diced onion and keep stirring for about 1 minutes.
Add cinnamon, black pepper and ground cloves, stirring together.
Add rice salt and ghee, stir everything well together.
Pour in liquid then add tomato paste, stir well to dissolve.
Bring to a boil uncovered.
Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 20-25 minutes.
Toast the nuts:
In a skillet melt ghee, add pistachios and almonds stir for 2-3 minutes until lightly toasted, turn heat off.
Drain raisins and add to the hot skillet along with the dried apricot and toss everything together.
Serve rice on a platter garnished with nut mixture and chopped parsley if desired.
- You can use any type of rice you like Basmati, short grain, brown just adjust the cooking liquid accordingly.
- You can use any type of stock or even water. In fact I like this recipe more with water.
- Do not freak out if the caramelize sugar sticks to the pan it will all come off when we add liquids.
Please check the nutrition disclaimer policy.
Calories: 197kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.001g | Cholesterol: 7mg | Sodium: 327mg | Potassium: 278mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 260IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 1mg