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Ways of Cooking Plain Rice (A Lebanese Way)

Recipe information

  • Yield

    serves 4-6

Ingredients

2 cups long-grain or basmati rice
3 cups water
Salt
4 tablespoons butter or vegetable oil

Preparation

  1. Wash the rice if basmati, and drain well. It is not necessary to wash American long-grain. Put the 3 cups of water, salt, and 4 tablespoons butter in a saucepan, and bring to the boil. Throw in the rice and boil vigorously for 2 minutes. Cover the pan tightly and cook over very low heat, undisturbed, for about 20 minutes, until the rice is tender and fluffy, and little holes have appeared all over the surface. Turn off the heat and allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Cover of Claudia Roden's The New Book of Middle Easter Food, featuring a blue filigree bowl filled with Meyer lemons and sprigs of mint.
Reprinted with permission from The New Book of Middle Eastern Food, copyright © 2000 by Claudia Roden, published by Knopf. Buy the full book on Amazon or Bookshop.
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