Pilaf with pine nuts and vermicelli
Fluffy stock-cooked rice topped with buttery toasted vermicelli, pine nuts and currants
A fragrant Middle Eastern rice pilaf: rice simmered in vegetable stock with onion, garlic, chilli and cumin, then finished with golden vermicelli and pine nuts toasted in butter, sweet currants and fresh parsley. Serve warm with cacık.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 10 ½ oz basmati rice1½ cups, soaked for 30 minutes and drained
- 3 ¼ cups clear vegetable stock or water3 cups; see the clear vegetable stock recipe
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onionlarge, finely chopped
- 1 tsp garlic paste
- 1 tsp green chilli paste
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp saltto taste
For the topping
- ½ cup vermicellibroken
- 1 tbsp buttermelted
- 1 ⅜ oz pine nuts¼ cup
- ⅞ oz currants¼ cup
- 2 tbsp fresh parsleyfinely chopped
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a heavy pan over a medium heat. Cook 1 onion, 1 tsp garlic paste, 1 tsp green chilli paste and 1 tsp ground cumin, stirring, until soft.
5 minStep 2: Add 3 ¼ cups clear vegetable stock or water and 1 tsp salt and bring to the boil.
3 minStep 3: Add the drained 10 ½ oz basmati rice, bring back to the boil, then cover with a lid and cook on a low heat for 12 minutes.
12 minStep 4: Meanwhile toast 1 ⅜ oz pine nuts and ½ cup vermicelli in 1 tbsp butter in a small pan, stirring, until golden.
4 minStep 5: Take the pilaf off the heat and leave it covered for 5 minutes.
5 minStep 6: Just before serving, fork the vermicelli, pine nuts, ⅞ oz currants and 2 tbsp fresh parsley through the warm pilaf. Serve warm with cacık.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 430 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 72 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pilaf with pine nuts and vermicelli take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 35 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 basmati rice?
- Any long-grain rice, same amount.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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