A Classic Middle Eastern Accompaniment for Shish Kebab, Chicken or Other Roasted Meats
There is an old Armenian saying: “Ever since pilaf burned his mouth, he blows even on his yogurt.”
The obvious allusion to an overly cautious man aside, the proverb underscores what a staple this rice dish is, not just for Armenians. It is found on tables throughout the entire Middle East.
There are, perhaps, hundreds of different sorts of pilafs on tables from Syria to Greece - and they vary by the culture, by the ingredients available, by the meat dish served with it, and by the individual taste and style of the cook. Basically, the main ingredient of these dishes is either rice, bulgur wheat or couscous, steamed in some sort of stock and flavored with various spices and minced vegetable additions to the dish.
This is a basic rice recipe, popular in Turkey and parts of Syria. It goes equally well with lamb shish kebabs or with a wide variety of chicken dishes.
Another interesting “tidbit” to share over the dinner table is that the popular American boxed rice product, Rice-A –Roni, might be the “San Francisco Treat” (as its classic commercial states) but, at its heart, it’s a basic recipe for Middle Eastern Pilaf!
So, go ahead, ditch the box and make a great pilaf from scratch. Middle Eastern cooking doesn’t get much easier than this.
Rice Pilaf Recipe:
Ingredients:
- 8 oz. can of chicken stock
- ½ cup long grain rice (Basmati works best, but almost any long grained product will work well. Do not use any of the short-grained, risotto, or brown rices for this).
- 2 Tablespoons of butter
- ¼ cup thin egg noodles
- 1/8 cup of water
- Salt and pepper to taste
Procedure:
- In a skillet, gently melt the butter, taking care not to let it burn.
- When the butter has melted and begun to foam, sprinkle the egg noodles into the pan and sauté them until they have browned lightly, but not burned. (Take care to keep the heat relatively low and to watch the process carefully, as the thin noodles can burn quickly and ruin the dish).
- After the noodles are browned, slowly pour the chicken stock and the water into the pan. Then add the rice, stir to incorporate everything.
- Set the heat on low. Cover and cook until all the liquid is absorbed and the rice and noodles are tender.
- “Fluff” the mixture gently with a fork and serve.
This recipe serves 4 people as a side dish.
For some other dishes to serve this with, check out: shish kebab, the lamb roast in the Chaimen article, and Tass Kebab.
Pilafs are also made with bulgur, a kind of cracked wheat product, readily available to day in most health food stores. For two nice bulgur pilaf recipes, see my related article!
