An epicurean adventure to: Egypt
This Egyptian rice recipe is a simple yet unique side dish made with short-grain rice, vermicelli noodles, vegetable stock and butter.
It's a staple in Egyptian cuisine and Middle Eastern dishes, but universally it's a perfect side dish for almost any main meal.
What makes this Arabic white rice with vermicelli stand out is its ease and speed of preparation, taking less than 30 minutes to make from start to finish! The vermicelli adds a unique twist to traditional rice, both texturally and visually.
For more unique rice dishes, try this flavourful South African basmati yellow rice, this majestic Moroccan rice or this easy rich and creamy coconut rice.
Jump to:
- Fast facts - Egypt
- What's to love about this recipe
- Key ingredient notes and substitutions
- How to make Egyptian rice
- Variations
- What can you serve Egyptian rice with?
- Storage and food safety
- Can you freeze cooked rice?
- Why you should rinse rice
- FAQ
- Other recipes from the African continent you might enjoy
- More rice recipes
- Recipe
Fast facts - Egypt
| Location | Egypt is located in the north-eastern corner of Africa. It also has a small land bridge connecting it with the southwestern corner of Asia. |
| Capital | Cairo. |
| Language | The official language of Egypt is Arabic. |
| Population | Circa 104 million people. |
| Trivia | The pyramids were not built by slaves. The workers who constructed the pyramids were paid laborers, not enslaved individuals. Their hard work was driven by loyalty to the Pharaoh. Those who passed away during the construction were honoured with burials near the sacred pyramids. |
What's to love about this recipe
- This classic Egyptian rice is quick and easy to make, taking less than 30 minutes from start to finish.
- Aromatic, savoury and full of flavour, with a lovely texture from the vermicelli.
- Butter adds a rich and creamy touch to the rice.
- Versatile, can be served with a variety of main dishes.
- Easy to scale the recipe up or down.
- Rinsing the rice gives you a fluffy texture.
- Vegetarian-friendly.
Key ingredient notes and substitutions
**Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full list of ingredients.
Olive oil
You can replace this with ghee or vegetable oil.
Vermicelli noodles
It would be convenient if you could find the vermicelli already broken into small pieces. If not, you can buy vermicelli nests and break them up yourself.
You will need pieces of roughly 0.5-1 inch in length - no exact science here!
Egyptian rice
Unless you are somewhere near the Egyptian region, you may be hard-pressed to find Egyptian rice. Unless you have a speciality shop on your doorstep!
You can replace this with any short-grain or medium-grain rice. Options are paella (Bomba) rice, Arborio rice, Calrose rice and sushi rice.
If all else fails, you can use a long grain rice like Basmati.
Vegetable stock
We love using vegetable stock for this rice dish as it adds a lot of savoury flavour. However, you can also use plain water if you prefer.
Alternatively, you can experiment with beef or chicken stock for different taste variations.
Butter
Butter is like a magic wand for rice dishes. It transforms it into something truly extraordinary. So much so that you might be tempted to gobble up the rice all by itself and forget about the rest of the meal!
It's just that good, and we can't get enough of it in our house!
Salt
Because we're using vegetable stock, we suggest only adding half a teaspoon of salt. If you are using water only and no stock, consider upping the salt to a teaspoon on this volume of rice.
How to make Egyptian rice
- In a strainer or sieve, rinse the rice under cold running water to get rid of any excess starch. Set the rinsed rice aside.
- Top tip: If your kitchen tap has a spray head, it's perfect for rinsing rice through a fine mesh sieve. Simply give it a gentle spray, and you're good to go! But if you don't have a spray head, don't worry. A regular running tap will work just fine for rinsing the rice.
- In a heavy-based saucepan, heat the olive oil over a medium-high heat.
- Once the oil is hot, add the vermicelli and fry for 2-3 minutes, or until it's a golden brown colour and crispy.
- Move the vermicelli around constantly and turn the flame down to medium heat if it's browning too fast. Keep a very close eye on it as vermicelli can burn very quickly.
- Over a low heat, add the rinsed rice. Fry together with the vermicelli for 1 minute.
- Add the vegetable stock, butter and salt to the rice mixture. Bring it back to a gentle boil and immediately turn the heat down to its lowest setting. Cover with a lid and let the rice cook undisturbed for 13 minutes.
- After 13 minutes of cooking time, remove the rice from the heat. Keep the lid on and let it rest for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, fluff up the rice with a fork and transfer it to a serving bowl.
Variations
- Add spice: Add some traditional Egyptian spices like cumin, coriander or turmeric to the rice for a burst of extra flavour. You can also add a bay leaf.
- Vary the stock: Instead of vegetable stock, you can also use chicken or beef stock to give the rice a meatier flavour.
- Add nuts: Toasted almonds or pine nuts make a great addition to the rice. They add some crunch and nuttiness.
- Add herbs: Chopped fresh herbs like parsley, mint, coriander or chives (our favourite!) add a fresh and aromatic element to the rice.
- Add veggies: Mix in some peas, carrots or diced tomatoes for colour, freshness and nutrition.
- Add protein: Mix in some cooked chickpeas or lentils to make the dish more filling and protein-rich.
- Add more texture: Top with crispy onions.
What can you serve Egyptian rice with?
The possibilities are endless!
- Middle Eastern stews and tagines.
- Western stews or casseroles.
- Grilled meats like beef, pork, chicken or lamb.
- Grilled seafood dishes and fish.
- Curries.
- Pair with sauteed or roasted vegetables.
- As a side to a vegetarian main.
Storage and food safety
It is advised that cooked rice should not be stored for longer than one day. So if you're planning on finishing the rice the next day, that's okay.
When storing rice, cool the leftover rice down quickly, ideally in less than an hour. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.
To reheat the rice you can use the microwave, or a saucepan on the stove. Make sure the rice is steaming hot throughout before consuming.
Can you freeze cooked rice?
Yes, you can. Cool down the rice to be frozen quickly, ideally in less than an hour. Freeze in freezer bags or an airtight container and keep in the freezer for up to a month.
To defrost, allow the rice to thaw in the fridge overnight. To reheat the rice you can use the microwave, or a saucepan on the stove. Make sure the rice is steaming hot throughout before consuming.
Why you should rinse rice
- Rinsing rice removes any excess starch that can often be the cause of rice being sticky or clumpy. Instead, you're left with fluffy, light rice.
- It removes any impurities that might be present in the rice, like dust, small stones or dirt.
- It prevents the rice from getting spoiled quickly by removing any bacteria or spores that might be present on the rice.
FAQ
Yes, it is quite similar with it being a medium grain rice and can be a good swap for Egyptian rice.
Rice is generally gluten free and it depends on what other additions are added to the dish. Vermicelli, however, tends to be made from wheat and is therefore not gluten-free.
For this recipe, it's 509 calories per portion. You can lower the calorie count by leaving out the butter and swapping the vegetable stock for water.
Other recipes from the African continent you might enjoy
More rice recipes
Khao Pad, Thai fried rice
Recipe
Easy Egyptian rice
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil - or ghee
- 250 millilitre (1 US cup) vermicelli - broken into pieces of about 2.5cm/1"
- 250 millilitre (1 US cup) Egyptian rice - or short grain rice
- 375 millilitre (1½ US cup) vegetable stock - or water
- 20 grams (1½ tablespoons) butter
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a strainer or sieve, rinse the rice under cold running water to get rid of any excess starch. Set the rinsed rice aside. Top tip: If you have a spray head on your kitchen tap, this works excellently to rinse rice through a fine mesh sieve. Otherwise, just a normal running tap works fine.
- In a heavy based saucepan, heat the olive oil over a medium-high heat.
- Once the oil is hot, add the vermicelli and fry for 2-3 minutes, or until it's a golden brown colour. Move the vermicelli around constantly and turn down the heat if it's browning too fast. Keep a very close eye on it as vermicelli can burn very quickly.
- Lower the heat and add the rinsed rice. Fry together with the vermicelli for 1 minute.
- Add the vegetable stock, butter and salt. Bring it back to a gentle boil and immediately turn the heat down to its lowest setting. Cover with a lid and let the rice cook undisturbed for 13 minutes.
- After 13 minutes, remove the rice from the heat. Keep the lid on and let it rest for 10 minutes.
- After the 10 minutes, fluff the rice up with a fork and transfer to a serving bowl.
**Nutritional data disclaimer**
Please keep in mind that the nutritional information provided below is calculated by a third party and we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We try our best to give you the most accurate information, but we do not take responsibility for errors that may be present. Also, the nutritional value of the recipe may change depending on the exact brands and products used. We recommend that you consult with a qualified healthcare professional or registered dietitian for personalised advice on your dietary needs.
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