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Roz bel shaareya (Egyptian vermicelli rice)
رز بالشعرية (roz bel shaareya): short-grain rice with butter-toasted vermicelli, the base of every tabeekh
Not a single Egyptian stew is served without roz bel shaareya: short-grain rice cooked with vermicelli that has been toasted in butter or samna until it's the colour of a walnut shell. It's on the table every day in homes from Aswan to Alexandria, soft and slightly sticky, with nutty brown flecks through it. Serve it under fasolia, bamia or molokhia. Most people under-toast the vermicelli out of fear of burning it; pale shaareya tastes of nothing. Chef's tip: let the cooked rice sit covered with a clean tea towel under the lid for 10 minutes; it dries the grains and keeps them separate.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 10 ½ oz Egyptian or other short-grain ricerinsed until the water runs clear, soaked 15 minutes and drained
- 1 oz butter or ghee
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil
- 2 ⅛ oz vermicellibroken into 2 cm lengths
- 2 cups waterboiling
- 1 tsp salt
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Melt 1 oz butter or ghee with 1 tbsp sunflower oil in a medium pan over a medium heat. Add 2 ⅛ oz vermicelli and stir constantly until it is evenly deep golden brown.
4 minStep 2: Add the drained 10 ½ oz Egyptian or other short-grain rice and stir for a minute until the grains are coated and glossy.
1 minStep 3: Pour in 2 cups water with 1 tsp salt, bring to the boil, then cover and cook on the lowest heat until all the water has gone and small holes appear on the surface.
15 minStep 4: Take off the heat, slip a tea towel under the lid and rest for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve.
10 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 58 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does roz bel shaareya (Egyptian vermicelli rice) take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of egyptian or other short-grain rice?
- Any long-grain rice, same amount.
- What can I use instead of butter or ghee?
- Butter, same amount (keep the heat a little lower, butter burns sooner).
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