Riz bazella (Syrian rice and peas)

Name: Riz bazella recipe (Syrian rice and peas)
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 80g unsalted butter; 400g jasmine rice; 20.00 ml extra virgin olive oil; 1 small onion, finely chopped; 500g lamb mince; 2 tsp baharat (Arabic mixed spice); 40.00 ml pine nuts; 62.50 ml whole almonds, roughly chopped; 62.50 ml pistachios, roughly chopped; 250.00 ml frozen baby peas, blanched

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by Nayran Tabiei

CHEF

Jul 05, 2022

“The ingredients are basic: meat, onions, peas, rice, nuts (almonds and pistachios or pine nuts), and a little bit of butter. You’ll find that a lot of Middle Eastern recipes use basic ingredients – no canned soups, no pre-made foods, no powder packets. This is one of the reasons why the Mediterranean/Middle Eastern diet is considered to be so healthy: fresh foods with wholesome ingredients.”

80g unsalted butter
2 cups (400g) jasmine rice
1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
500g lamb mince
2 tsp baharat (Arabic mixed spice)
2 tbs pine nuts
1/4 cup whole almonds, roughly chopped
1/4 cup pistachios, roughly chopped
1 cup frozen baby peas, blanched

Method

1.

Melt 50g butter in a medium saucepan with a lid over medium-high heat. Add rice and cook for 30 seconds or until lightly toasted. Add 3 cups (750ml) water and bring to the boil. Cover with a lid, reduce heat to low and cook for 14-15 minutes until rice is tender and all the water is absorbed. Set aside and keep warm.
2.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large frypan over high heat. Add onion and cook for 6-8 minutes until softened. Add mince, baharat, 1 tsp salt flakes and 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper and cook for a further 8-10 minutes, breaking up mince with a wooden spoon, until golden brown. Keep warm.
3.

Melt remaining 30g butter in a small frypan over medium heat. Add pine nuts, almonds and pistachios and cook, stirring, for 3-4 minutes until lightly toasted.
4.

Arrange rice on a serving platter and top with peas, lamb mixture and toasted nuts to serve.