Fantastic rice recipe from mom's book

My mother's life work was a cookbook. It contains 850 "Eastern" recipes and is quite popular in Lebanon and Arabic speaking countries... Alas, it was never fully translated, though two of my sisters did work on it for a while.

This a recipe I'd like to share .. it is always a hit at parties and can be cooked with or without meat, so it can be a main course for vegetarians or carnivores like me...

She calls it "Rice Bukhari" (named after an area in Central Asia), but mom learned this dish when she lived in Saudi Arabia in the 1930s. Why is another tale ...

There are many kinds of rice, each with its own flavor and texture and all are great. But this recipe works best with, believe it or not, Uncle Ben's regular rice--not the instant or quick. It's nutty taste and strength stands up to the stirring it will get. You can make this dish with beef, lamb or even chicken (combining small 2" pieces of split thighs, breast and/or wings) though you might prefer lamb or beef the first time out--or leave out the meat for vegetarians. This dish was a part of her parties and was usually accompanied by kibbe in the pan and a hot salad.

to begin, you'll need to have some spices on hand: cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom--preferably whole, though the powder form works, too. If you use the whole seeds and cinnamon sticks, tie them in a mesh bag which you can remove before plating.

Yield: 10-12 people:

1 1/2 cups Uncle Ben's Rice

3 med or 2 large red onions, thinly sliced

1 cup finely chopped carrots

1/2 lbs. meat (beef or lamb), cut into 2" pieces, cleaned and patted dry

3 large tomatoes, chopped and drained with seeds removed (~24 ozs canned will do)

1/4 cup tomato paste

1/2 cup raisins (yellow or dark)

1/2 cup slivered almonds

about 1/3 cup canola or other cooking oil

3 sticks of cinnamon (1/2 tsp powdered)

10 whole cloves (1/3 tsp powder)

6-10 cardamoms (1/2 tsp powdered), preferably green ones from a Mediterranean deli

salt

hot water to add to rice

How:

In a large covered pot or casserole heat half of oil at medium-high and drop in what seems to be way too much onion. Trust me, it is not. Stir frequently to avoid burning until they start to caramelize (i.e., until they are light to medium brown in color and juice has evaporated). Set aside. Heat remaining oil, add dry cubes of oil meat, if you are using it, and stir till meat has browned on both sides. Add onions and carrots and stir until carrots begin to wilt (3 minutes). Add Uncle Ben's rice and stir for 1-2 minutes until thoroughly covered with pan juices and oil, then add chopped tomatoes, stirring again for 1-2 minutes, the tomato paste, diluted with some hot water, and enough hot water to cover all with an additional 1/2 " of water. Add the raisins and nuts, the spices (in powder or the mesh bag) and salt (2 tsp), stuir once to blend, then cover the pot, reduce heat to low, and let simmer.

It’ll need to cook for 35-40 minutes, depending on the meat. However, it is critical to avoid running out of water – or having too much! So during the first 8-9 minutes, check the liquid level. If it disappears well below the level of the rice, add small amounts of hot water until a small depression you’ve made in the center of the rice is filled with a bubbling liquid. Lower the heat to minimum, cover and cook for an additional 25-30 minutes, or until the rice is done … Uncle Ben’s rice, like pasta, is best cooked “al dente” so dion't overdo.

Once the rice is done (the bouquet will fill your nostrils), remove and let sit uncovered for 5 minutes, then serve. A green or hot salad (chopped cucumber, tomatoes, onions, parsley, white vinegar and plenty of your favorite chili sauce is an excellent side dish) can be served on the side.

Comments welcome!