This Moroccan Rice recipe is a scrumptious, healthful facet dish for any event! Made with savory Moroccan spices, almonds, dried fruit, and orange zest, serve it together with your favourite protein and dinner is prepared! Vegan.
This Moroccan Rice Pilaf is like taking a stroll by means of the outdated souks in Marrakesh. Recent, vibrant, vigorous flavors, so colourful and warming, identical to the folks of Morocco! Made with basmati rice, caramelized onions, dried fruit, almonds, orange zest, and pomegranate seeds infused with Moroccan spices, it’s certain to take you there!
Throughout our go to to Morocco, we loved such unimaginable meals. Tagines and rice dishes handled so merely however bursting with taste. Pomegranates and oranges have been in excessive season that point of 12 months, piled up fantastically within the souks and markets, together with fragrant spices, and we regularly discovered them paired collectively such as you see right here.
Why You’ll Love This!
This Moroccan Rice Pilaf recipe is stuffed with so many flavors and textures! Savory Moroccan spices add depth and complexity, whereas dried fruit provides a chewy chew and almonds deliver that excellent quantity of crunch.
Spices: Cumin, floor coriander, turmeric, cardamom (or nutmeg), and cayenne pepper (non-obligatory). As an alternative of spices, be at liberty to make use of 1 1/2 – 2 teaspoons of Ras el Hanout.
Water: or vegetable broth or hen broth. See notes!
Garnishes: Orange (use the juice and zest), Italian parsley or recent mint (beautiful), pomegranate seeds, and slivered almonds (toasted).
* See the recipe card for detailed elements
The right way to Make Moroccan Rice
Place basmati rice in a bowl and canopy with water and let soak when you prep.
In a big Dutch oven or braiser, warmth oil over medium warmth. Add the onion and saute till tender, reducing the warmth if want be.
Add the raisins, cinnamon sticks, spices and salt and toast 1 minute within the pan.
Add the water, and the drained rice. Give a great stir and produce to a boil. Cowl, decrease warmth to a simmer, and prepare dinner till rice is tender and water has evaporated.
Brown basmati takes roughly 40 minutes. White basmati rice takes 20-ish minutes. Flip the warmth off and let sit coated for 10 minutes to get good and fluffy.
Fluff with a fork. Style and alter salt and pepper, free so as to add extra floor cinnamon to style.
Squeeze with orange juice (begin with ½), scatter with orange zest, parsley, pomegranate seeds, and toasted almonds. Serve with a little bit of black pepper if desired.
Serving Strategies
Take pleasure in this rice dish by itself! To make a meal, stir in 1-2 cups of cooked chickpeas or lentils and readjust seasonings to your desire.
Retailer leftovers in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 4 days. This recipe may also be frozen for a month!
FAQs
What sort of rice is greatest for pilaf?
Lengthy-grain basmati rice. You need to use white rice or brown rice, however simply you should definitely learn the cooking time and liquid quantity on the precise bundle. See notes.
What’s pilaf fabricated from?
Sometimes rice pilaf is made with rice, aromatics, broth or water, and seasonings! Right here we use savory Moroccan spices.
Is Moroccan rice wholesome?
Sure! When you use brown basmati rice, which is a heart-healthy complete grain, you’ll obtain a large amount of dietary fiber. The onion and spices supply nutritional vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals. Turmeric is wealthy in anti-inflammatory curcumin. Slivered almonds present wholesome fat, and for those who resolve to stir in legumes like chickpeas or lentils, you’ll additionally profit from extra plant-based protein!
What else may I add to Moroccan rice?
You may sub pine nuts or walnuts for the almonds, use dried cherries. Add any greens you’d like, corresponding to carrots or garlic.
Is Moroccan rice gluten-free?
Sure! This rice-based recipe is a good gluten-free, Center Jap dish to function a facet at social gatherings.
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This Moroccan Rice recipe is a scrumptious, healthful facet dish for any event! Made with savory Moroccan spices, almonds, dried fruit, and orange zest.
Place rice in a bowl and canopy with water and let soak when you prep.
In a big Dutch oven or braiser, warmth the oil over medium warmth. Add the onion and saute till tender, reducing the warmth if want be.
Add the raisins, cinnamon sticks, spices and salt and toast 1 minute.
Add the water, and the drained rice. Give a great stir and produce to a boil. Cowl, decrease warmth to a simmer, and prepare dinner till rice is tender and water has evaporated. Brown basmati takes roughly 40 minutes. White basmati rice takes 20-ish minutes. Flip warmth off and let sit coated for 10 minutes.
Fluff with a fork. Add the orange zest from one small orange, squeeze with the orange.
Style and add extra salt and pepper, orange juice, floor cinnamon to style. It ought to style vibrant, vivid, zesty, with sufficient salt to steadiness the acid. Add a great pinch of cayenne!
Spices: as a substitute of the spices, be at liberty to make use of 2 teaspoons of ras el hanout. Add extra to style!
Basmati rice: Brown basmati rice takes double the time to prepare dinner than white basmati and should require extra water than white basmati. *At all times learn your bundle instructions for the liquid /rice ratio and cooking time.This recipe used Lundberg Natural Brown basmati rice and took 40 minutes of coated simmering time.
Tip: the garnishes make the dish including taste and texture!
To show this into extra of a meal, you may stir in cooked chickpeas or lentils (1-2 cups) and re-season to style.
Moroccan Rice will preserve as much as 4 days within the fridge, could be reheated in a saute pan, or could be frozen.
