Middle Eastern Rice Recipe with Spices, Pistachios, Cashews and Raisins
This quick and easy Middle Eastern rice recipe with spices, nuts and raisins makes a spiced rice dish inspired by Arabic rice dishes from the Middle East, such as Arabian machboos and kabsa, Palestinian qidreh and Syrian maqluba. While authentic in flavour, our rice dish is stir-fried in the speedier Asian-style rather than slower Middle Eastern pilaf method.
Servings: 4
Calories: 237kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 300 g cooked jasmine rice
- 2 tbsp pistachios
- 2 tbsp cashews
- 2 tbsp olive oil divided
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp ground allspice
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- ½ tsp white pepper
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp salt
- 6 fresh thyme sprigs
- 2 tbsp raisins
Instructions
- Remove the leftover cooked jasmine rice from the fridge, use a fork to thoroughly separate the grains and set aside.
- Combine all the dried spices in a bowl or glass jar until well incorporated and set aside.
- In a big flat-bottomed wok, fry the pistachios and cashews for a minute or two until they start to colour, continually stirring them so they don’t burn, then transfer to a dish and set aside.
- In the same wok, heat a tablespoon of olive oil over high heat, add the dried spices, stir to incorporate well, then add the cooked jasmine rice, thyme sprigs and raisins, and stir fry until the spices, nuts and thyme, are evenly distributed and the rice has changed colour and is hot.
- Taste, adjust the seasoning to suit your palate, transfer to a serving plate, garnish with more fresh thyme sprigs and lemon slices and serve immediately while piping hot.
Notes
Garnish: thyme sprigs and lemon slices
Nutrition
Calories: 237kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Sodium: 300mg | Potassium: 179mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 23IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 1mg