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Armenian Rice Pilaf – Stove Top

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Armenian Rice Pilaf

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.

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