1/2 & 1/2 Rice

Recently I came to learn that the Japanese sometimes add fried grains of rice to their tea. Have you ever had it?  It gives the tea a nutty rich taste.  Similarly, adding the fried grains of rice to your standard white rice dish gives it a nutty earthy taste that just renders a simple side dish of rice tastier with a deeper taste.

I love the name of this dish. 1/2 & 1/2 refers to the 1/2 white and 1/2 golden brown grains of rice as shown in this picture.

Rice 1/2 & 1/2. A delicious way to add a complex taste to a simple side dish of rice

Serving Ideas: Serve as a side dish with your favorite kabobs and stews.

Serving Size: 4 persons

Ingredients:
2 cups Rice, medium grain
3 Tbs Vegetable Oil
2 1/4 cups Water
1/2 tsp Salt

Directions:
~ Over medium high heat, add the oil to a saucepan and heat it for a couple of minutes.
~ Add 1/2 cup of rice and mix well with the oil.
~ Fry the rice grains, stirring continuously, until they turn golden brown.

~ Add the water.  Bring to a boil.
~ Add the remaining rice and salt. Bring to a boil again.
~ Lower the heat, cover the saucepan.  Cook the rice over low heat for 30 minutes.
~ Remove the saucepan away from the heat and let it rest, covered, for 5 minutes.
~ Remove the cover and fluff the rice with a fork.
~ Serve the rice as a side dish with your favorite kabobs or stews.

Variations: Instead frying a 1/2 c of rice, you can fry 1/4 c. of orzo or 1/4 c. of crushed vermicelli pasta then continue with the same recipe.

~ Bel Hana ~

Best Places to Try this Dish in Egypt:
~ Typically, this dish is made at home and not served in restaurants.   Best spot to try it would be at my mom’s kitchen 🙂