Mediterranean Basmati Rice Recipe

Today I’m sharing my recipe for one of my favorite side dishes.  This Mediterranean rice recipe is so flavorful and pairs perfectly with chicken, lamb and fish.  I make this at least once a month.  We can’t get enough of it at our house.  If you’re looking for a super flavorful rice dish this is just the recipe for you.  It’s full of spices including turmeric, cinnamon and cumin and topped with dried fruit, almonds and fresh herbs.  Did I already mention how tasty this is?  Ok, enough of that, here is the recipe!

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Ingredients

2 Cups Basmati Rice

3 cups chicken broth (or water)

1 TBSP Olive Oil

1 Tsp Turmeric

1 Tsp Cumin

1/2 Tsp Cinnamon

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 tsp salt

3 Garlic cloves

1/2 of a medium onion

1/8 cup fresh herbs (I used mint and sage)

1/4 cup dried fruit (I used cranberries and apricots)

1/4 cup sliced almonds

Directions

Step 1 – Rinse the rice

First, rinse the rice with water a few times to remove the surface starch from the rice grains.

Step 2 – Sautee onions

Pour 1 tbsp of olive oil into a medium pan and heat on medium.  Chop 1/2 of an onion and sauté the onions for 3-5 minutes until they start to appear transparent.

Step 3 – Add the spices

Add 3 cloves of minced garlic, 1 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, and 1/4 tsp black pepper.   Mix until well combined.

Step 4 – Add the rice

Add two cups of rinsed basmati rice and stir until it is well mixed.  All of the rice should be yellow.

Step 5 – Add liquid 

Add 3 cups of liquid to the rice.  I like to use chicken broth for added flavor but if you want the recipe to be vegetarian you can use veggie broth or water.  Just be sure to adjust your salt depending on what you use.  For example, if you use water you will need to add more salt.  Or if you use a low sodium broth you may want more salt.

Step 6 – Bring to a boil, then let simmer 

Bring the rice to a boil and then lower the temperature to a simmer and cook with the lid on for 15-20 minutes until all of the liquid is absorbed.

Step 7 – Add toppings

I like to add a variety of dried fruit, almonds and fresh herbs to my rice.  This time around I went with apricots and craisins for the fruit.  I also like to use dates and figs.  For almonds I prefer the sliced almonds over whole almonds.  They are also even better when you toast them first but I skipped this step since it was a weeknight meal.  You could use a variety of fresh herbs.  I have a ton of mint and pineapple sage in my garden so I chose to use them this time around.

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