Armenian Rice Pilaf – Stove Top
Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4 as side dish
Inspired by: My Armenian grandmother and my mom always made this when I was growing up. The family loved it. We still love it. I believe the only things that have changed in the recipe is that the amount of butter used has probably decreased a bit and I’ve begun using Basmati rice because it’s more flavorful and aromatic than the long grain white rice I grew up with.
Ingredients:
- 1-2 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup vermicelli noodles broken into 1 inch pieces
- ¾ cup uncooked Basmati rice
- 1 small can organic chicken broth (get regular – not the low salt stuff)
- ¼-1/2 teaspoon salt (optional – depends how salty you like it)
Preparation:
- Melt butter in skillet over medium heat and lightly brown vermicelli noodles (about 5 minutes).
- Combine with all other ingredients and bring to a boil.
- Then remove from heat or keep on a very low simmer for about 20 minutes or until moisture is absorbed and rice is consistency you like.
- Just before serving, you can add just a bit of very hot water or additional chicken broth to make it juicier.
Notes: For making larger quantities and for easier prep for parties, check out my baked rice pilaf recipe. This is great with any meal, but nice to incorporate into a Mediterranean-themed meal such as hummus or baba ganoush as a starter, and served with lemon-herb chicken kabobs and Greek salad.
Wine Suggestions: This is a fabulous enhancement to a meal if you are serving a high acid white wine or a red wine with some tannins because of the salt and butter. For those who enjoy a rich, buttery, California chardonnay – that could be a very complimentary pairing as well.