Name: Habibi rice
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 1 tsp each coriander seeds and cumin seeds; 100 gm pine nuts; 75 ml clarified butter; 75 gm dried bird’s nest pasta, broken into pieces; 375 gm basmati rice, rinsed; ½ onion, finely chopped; 40 gm flaked almonds

Habibi rice

Australian Gourmet Traveller recipe for habibi rice by George Calombaris and Shane Delia from St Katherine's in Melbourne.

Serves 8

Prep

15M

Cook

45M

Total

Ingredients

1 tsp each coriander seeds and cumin seeds

100 gm pine nuts

75 ml clarified butter

75 gm dried bird’s nest pasta, broken into pieces

375 gm basmati rice, rinsed

½ onion, finely chopped

40 gm flaked almonds

Method

Main

1.Dry-roast spices in a small saucepan until fragrant (1-2 minutes), transfer to a mortar and pestle, coarsely crush and set aside.

2.Dry-roast pine nuts in a small saucepan until golden (4-5 minutes), set aside.

3.Heat clarified butter in a wide saucepan over medium-high heat, add pasta and stir occasionally until golden brown (2-3 minutes). Add rice and onion, season to taste and stir occasionally until onion begins to soften and rice starts to absorb butter (4-5 minutes). Add spices, pine nuts, almonds and 1.5 litres hot water, bring to the boil, reduce heat to low and cook until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender (25-30 minutes). Season to taste and serve hot.