Description
A refined rice dish featuring warm spices, tender ground meat, and toasted pine nuts, delivering an elegant and aromatic experience.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups long-grain basmati rice — rinsed and soaked for 20 minutes
- 1/2 cup fine bulgur (optional) — soaked with rice
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth — hot
- 2 tbsp ghee or unsalted butter — room temperature
- 1 lb ground lamb or beef — room temperature
- 1 medium onion — finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves — minced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp tomato paste (optional)
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground allspice
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp kosher salt (adjust to taste)
- 1/3 cup pine nuts — lightly toasted
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley — finely chopped
- Lemon wedges — for serving
Instructions
- Prepare the rice: Rinse basmati until water runs clear, soak 20 minutes, then drain. Heat 1 tbsp ghee in a saucepan; add rice (and bulgur, if using) and toast for 1–2 minutes until edges are translucent.
- Brown the meat and aromatics: In a skillet, heat olive oil. Add onion and sauté for about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add lamb, breaking it up, until browned.
- Season and deglaze: Stir in tomato paste, spices, and salt. Cook 1 minute, then deglaze with a splash of hot broth, scraping the fond.
- Combine and simmer: Transfer the meat mixture to the pot with rice. Add remaining hot broth and stir. Cover and simmer on low for 15–18 minutes.
- Rest and finish: Remove from heat and let rest, covered, for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and mix in butter, pine nuts, and parsley, reserving some for garnish.
Notes
Serve in bowls, garnished with pine nuts and parsley. Drizzle with olive oil and serve lemon wedges on the side. Leftovers can be refrigerated for 3-4 days or frozen for 3 months.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 500
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 600mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 60g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 25g
- Cholesterol: 80mg