Kubba Haleb
Kubba Haleb makes the best after school snack, no? At least my 10 year old (and current) self would think so. Crispy fried rice on the outside, fluffy rice on the inside, and a lightly spiced meat within – that is Kubba Haleb in a …
Tag: rice
Dolma (Stuffed Grape Leaves)
It’s finally here – the Mother of Middle-Eastern Mains – Dolma. This post was originally intended to be published right before Thanksgiving as Dolma is always present right along side our Turkey. However, as we mentioned in our last post, we were grieving the loss …
Mujadara
Mujadara is definitely a comfort food. Who would have thought the words comfort food and vegan could enter the same sentence, but mujadara achieves this mighty feat. Lentils and rice are simmered together, and then and have bits of caramelized onions throughout…and a lil’ garnish of crispy onions on top. Let’s just say its a happy marriage of flavors, and is hearty and nutritious to boot.
Making this dish is not difficult. It just helps to get the timing down. You start by cooking the lentils first, then adding the rice to the pot shortly after. In a separate pan you caramelize some onions and add it to the lentils and rice. Last, but not least, you light fry up some onions for garnish. It kinda perfection, no? You got a beautiful dish sitting before you, with just some pantry ingredients. I’m here for it.
That’s why when I wanted to confirm with my mom some of the proportions she uses in this recipe at 7am in the morning, I found her suddenly with the ingredients in her hands, pot on the stove and making it. Soon enough, the dish was made, recipe was verified, and I got to eat mujadara for breakfast. Although a tad nontraditional, I’d call that a win.
Want More Rice Dishes??
Check these out!
- Iraqi Red Rice
- Dill Rice
- Rice with Hikaka
- Vegetarian Makloobi
- Akil Majnoon (Braised Vegetable Stew)
- Fasoolia Baytha (White Bean Stew)
- Fasoolia Kuthra (Green Bean with Meat Stew)
- Basalia (Peas and Meat stew)
- Bamia (Okra Stew)
- Ras Asfour (Meatball and Potato Stew)
- Arabic Curry
- Biryani
Let’s Engage!
If you make Mujadara, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! And of course, tag us on Instagram at ThreeTeasKitchen! We love seeing what you’re cooking up!
Mujadara
Lentils and rice are cooked together, and studded with caramelized onions throughout. It's delicious and nutritious. Both meat and plant based eaters will be fans of this dish!
Ingredients
- 2 cup green lentils, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup rice
- 3 cups water or unsalted broth*
- 2 medium sized yellow, onions diced
- 1 medium sized yellow onion, cut into a thin half moon shape
- ½ tbsp salt
- 6 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp pepper (optional)
Instructions
- To a medium/large sized pot, add water, salt, lentils and 2 tbsp. of olive oil. Put heat on high and bring to a boil.
- Once the pot comes to a boil, lower heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes.
- After the lentil pot has cooked for 15 minutes add rice and cover. Cook for another 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a saucepan pan, on medium heat, heat 3 tbsp of olive oil. Add 2 medium chopped onions, and cook until golden in color (slightly caramelized).
- Mix cooked onion and pepper (if using into rice and cook on low for another 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in the saucepan, on medium-high heat, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil and cook onion strips until slightly browned and a little crisped. Garnish on top of rice and enjoy!
Notes
Three Teas Tips
*You can use salted broth, but will likely need to adjust the salt down to taste
Mulukhiyah
The following guest blog post was written by no other than the hubs, Auddie, (or All Day, Auddie -if you recall). I think he did a pretty good job – maybe even good enough to quit his day job?? Just kidding! This recipe is delish …
Vegetarian Makloobi
Happy Easter and new beginnings to you all. We hope everyone is staying positive and well during these times. As you may be able to tell, some of us at Three Teas Kitchen have been spending our time at home cooking away. We hope you’ve …
Fasoolia Kuthra (Green Bean Stew)
There is nothing better on an early spring day than coming home to a dinner of Fasoolia Kuthra. Consisting mostly of green beans and tomato broth, it is a light, yet warm and comforting stew perfect for an evening when the sun is setting around dinnertime (and not before 5pm) , but there is still a chill in the air.
Given its easy to make nature, it was often on Nana and Mom’s list of options for dinner. I have to admit, it wasn’t my first choice of “timin and marakah” (rice and stew) dishes as a kid. I would have much rather gone with Basalia or Ras Asfour. But it’s funny how your palate changes throughout your life. Now, it is one of my favorites as it is not quite as heavy as some of the others. I just feel better eating it.
This dish is the perfect one to end our “Medley of Marakah.” We hope you’ve enjoyed this series and hope you will love kicking of your spring with Fasoolia Kuthra.
Fasoolya Khuthra (Green bean stew)
Green beans are braised in a tomato based sauce and served over rice. Delicious!
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 6oz can tomato paste
- 12oz bag cut frozen green beans
- 1 yellow onion, chopped small to med sized
- 1/2 lb ground beef can be substituted for ground turkey
- 1/4 tsp Iraqi baharat or all spice if you don't have baharat on hand
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
- in a medium sized saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat for 2 minutes
- add chopped onion and sautee for 1-2 minutes until you see onion starting to get shiny/translucent
- add ground beef and 1/2 tsp of salt. break up the meat with wooden spoon while browning the meat.
- once meat is brown mix in tomato paste
- use tomato paste can to add 4.5 cans of water, bahar, pepper and 1/2 tsp of salt to the pot and stir
- bring to a boil, then add frozen green beans
- cover the saucepan and bring to boil on high heat
- once it boils reduce heat to simmer for 10-15 minutes
- add additional salt or pepper to taste and serve over rice
Notes
Three Teas Tips:
You may substitute the ground beef for ground turkey if you would prefer it a bit lighter.
Make this dish vegetarian/vegan, by removing the ground meat and instead adding a can of drained white beans with the green beans for a hearty, protein and fiber packed meal!
Fasoolia Baytha (White Bean Stew)
White beans braised in a tomato based sauce is Fasoolia Baytha. Fasoolia means “bean” and baytha means “white” in Arabic. Thus, this is a white bean stew. This dish could not get any simpler. You can use canned or dried beans for this recipe, whichever …
Akil Majnoon (Braised Vegetable Stew)
Cauliflower, eggplant and cabbage braised in a tomato based sauce is the basis of Akil Majnoon. The warm spices of bahar, make this such a cozy winter meal. Naturally vegan, it is just as much considered comfort food like Basalia and Bamia and is recipe …
Rice with Hikaka
Rice with hikaka is a staple in our house. But, what is hikaka (pronounced hick-ka-ka in Arabic) you may ask? Hikaka is the delicious, crispy rice that forms at the bottom of a pot of cooked rice. When ready to serve the pot is flipped upside down revealing a beautiful golden cake with a perfectly crispy out layer and fluffy interior of rice. What’s not to love?
The basic premise of making hikaka is that by adding extra cooking fat (olive oil in the recipe below) the bottom layer of the rice gets fried, while the rest of the rice gets steamed. Hikaka can be made on any type of rice. Below is the concept of how to make it with white basmati rice, which is the most common rice to eat with different Arabic Stews/sauces (known as Marakah), such as basalia and ras asfour.
Persian rice often has hikaka, which they call it tahdig. Tahdig translates to “the bottom of the pot.” Very fitting, no? The best food is always at the bottom of the pot, rice included. It is no wonder that the Persian cookbook by Naz Deravian, “Bottom of the Pot” was given such a name.
If you have the time, forming hikaka on rice should not be a question. It is “the best part” of the rice and has been fought over at many, a Middle-Eastern table.
Rice with Hikaka
Fluffy steam rice held together by a delicious thin layer of crispy fried rice is Rice with Hikaka. It is a treasured staple on many Middle Eastern tables.
Ingredients
- 2 cups uncooked white long grain rice Basmati rice is recommended*
- 2 tbsp olive oil**
- 1½ tsp salt
- water see instruction for amount of water to use
Instructions
- Rinse rice 2-3x with water until water runs clear. This is to remove excess starch on the rice.
- Heat oil in a medium size pot on medium heat
- Add rice and salt and stir a few times
- Add water to the pot so that rice is completely covered and about 1/2 inch of water is sitting above the rice
- Allow to come to a rapid boil then cover and reduce to a simmer
- Keep covered and let cook at simmer for 25 minutes
- Remove cover and let cook for another 15 minutes
- To serve, flip pot over onto a serving plate. This will reveal a rice cake with golden crust (aka "hikaka"). Enjoy!
Notes
*If you would prefer to use brown basmati rice instead of white, add a little more water (3/4″ above rice instead of 1/2″) and longer cooking time (keep covered for 30 minutes instead of 25 minutes). A crust will form, but it will not be quite as golden or crispy as with white rice.
**You can also use butter instead or a mix of butter and olive oil, any combination will render a fabulous hikaka.
Basalia (Pea Stew)
Welcome to the first of a series of posts entitled “Medley of Marakah.” Marakah (accent on the first syllable) is an Arabic word for a tomato-based stew/sauce and there many different kinds of Marakah. Arguably the most popular Marakah in our family is Basalia and …