Hashweh rice recipe is a Lebanese spiced rice that is made with few ingredients and packed with flavour.
The aromatic spices used here give an earthy and warm balance to your rice. I like to add a touch of nuttiness by using toasted almonds and I also like to use golden raisins for a touch of sweet flavour. The combination here is simply delicious!
To create this Hashweh vegetarian rice you will need fresh onions and spices! The spices that you will need are seven spice, cumin, garlic and cinnamon.
This combination of spices and sautéed onions creates layers of flavour, offering a delightful balance of earthiness and warmth.
If you are looking for more of a deep dive and inspiration into mediterranean cooking check out this exclusive cookbook by Joseph Andres called Zaytinya: Delicious Mediterranean Dishes from Greece, Turkey, and Lebanon. A fusion of recipes from Greece, Turkey and Lebanon combined. The result is a foodie’s dream!
If you ever get a chance to visit Washington D.C. or New York you may consider putting the Zaytinya Restaurant on your itinerary. It is honestly one of the best restaurants that I have ever eaten at in my life. Their dishes are incredible and I feel so lucky to have eaten here.
I can also suggest another cookbook that I absolutely love. It is called Arabic Cooking: Step by Step. My mother and father in-law visited Lebanon in 2009 and brought this back for me as a gift. The recipes are so authentic and easy to follow. I especially love their technique for making Tabouli!
Achieving the flavours of Arabic cooking through spices
Achieving the rich and complex flavours of Arabic cooking through spices involves understanding the key spices used in Arabic cuisine and how they are combined to create delicious and aromatic dishes. Some of the spices commonly used in Arabic Lebanese cuisine include:
Cumin: Adds earthy and warm flavours to dishes such as rice pilaf, kebabs, and meat stews.
Coriander: Offers a citrusy and slightly sweet flavor, often used in combination with cumin in meat dishes and spice blends.
Cinnamon: Provides warmth and sweetness to savory dishes like rice pilaf, stews, and meat marinades.
7 Spice (Baharat): A versatile spice blend that typically includes black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, coriander, cardamom, and paprika, adding depth and complexity to meat dishes, rice and stews.
Sumac: Offers a tangy and citrusy flavour, commonly used as a seasoning for salads, grilled meats, and dips like hummus and baba ganoush. Try my recipe for Mediterranean Salad which includes the use of Sumac. It is fantastic.
Paprika: Adds vibrant color and subtle smokiness to dishes like grilled meats, rice dishes, and marinades.
Cloves: Imparts a warm and aromatic flavor, often used in combination with cinnamon and allspice in meat dishes and desserts.
Cardamom: Provides a floral and citrusy flavor, commonly used in desserts, coffee, and savory dishes like rice pilaf and meat marinades.
Turmeric: Adds a vibrant yellow color and earthy flavor to dishes like rice pilaf, soups, and vegetable dishes.
Nutmeg: Offers a warm and nutty flavor, used sparingly in meat dishes, rice pilafs, and desserts.
These spices are often used individually or in combination to create the complex and aromatic flavors that are characteristic of Arabic Lebanese cuisine. Experimenting with these spices can help you recreate authentic Lebanese dishes and explore the rich culinary traditions of the region.
flavouring water?
When a recipe calls for adding a stock you most likely find there are only 3 varieties: Chicken, Vegetable or Beef; right?
Well, how about looking at this idea in a different perspective. I like to think of it as flavouring water to the theme of your recipe. This innovative concept unlocks a whole world of possibilities.
By infusing water with a medley of aromatic ingredients such as fresh herbs, spices, fragrant vegetables, and citrus zest, you unlock a world of creativity in flavour development. For this recipe for Hashweh Spiced Rice, I like to use the flavours of Lebanese cooking and most always use a dash of cinnamon, cumin and 7 spice and I even like to blend stock powders. Adding a blend of vegetable stock powder and beef stock powder together makes an awesome unique flavour profile.
For another great dish using this flavoured water method try my Pulled Chicken Recipe where I blend chicken stock with chipotle peppers, lime juice, and fresh cilantro. The result is so nice and flavourful.
Tips for making this rice
I just love making this Hashweh spiced rice dish. I find it very warming, earthy easy to make and wholesome. It is a real joy to make. Here are a few tips and tricks to consider when making the recipe.
- Take your time sautéing the onions. The onions bring a ton of flavour to your rice.
- Toast your almonds for a few minutes in a dry frying pan before adding the almonds to your rice.
- Use Golden Raisins! There is a delicious subtle flavour for using golden raisins. Add your raisins to the when you add the rice. Let the raisins simmer with the rice. It puts a slightly sweet flavour through your rice.
- Flavour your stock water: I like to blend vegetable and beef stock powder then I will add a small amount of cumin, cinnamon, and 7 spice to create a Lebanese base flavour structure.
Ingredients:
Here is a list of ingredients that you will need to make this Hashweh Lebanese Vegetarian Spiced Rice.
- 1- 1/2 cups Basmati Rice
- 1-2 Vidalia or Red onions, diced
- 1 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tsp. 7-Spice Seasoning
- 1 tsp. Cumin
- 1 tsp. Cinnamon
- 1/4 cup Toasted Slivered Almonds
- 1/2 cup Golden Raisins
- 2- 1/2 cups Flavoured Water: Blend 1 tsp. of each vegetable and beef stock powder, 1/2 tsp. 7-spice and a dash of cinnamon
Instructions:
To begin, over medium heat warm olive oil/butter blend to a pan. Add in your onions. Saute onions until they turn slightly golden around the edges approximately 8-10 minutes.
Add in the minced garlic, 7-spice, cinnamon, cumin, salt and pepper. Cook the onions and spices together for 1 minute.
Add in the golden raisins, and the basmati rice.
Pour the Stock liquid into the pan, stir everything together and simmer for approximately 15 minutes. Take it off the heat and keep covered for another 5 minutes.
Place the slivered almonds into a dry frying pan and toast for 3 -4 minutes. Watch closely as they can burn quickly. We just want to slightly toast them to bring out the flavours.
Add the almonds to the rice and then use a fork to fluff the rice and mix in the almonds at the same time.
Enjoy this rice along side grilled meats, or a delicious mediterranean salad. I can also recommend purchasing a garlic dip. I love to add a dollop of garlic dip next to the rice. It is so darn good!
Let's make it together!
Hashweh: Vegetarian Lebanese Spiced Rice
Ingredients
- 1- 1/2 cups Basmati Rice
- 1-2 Vidalia or Red onions diced
- 1 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tsp. 7-Spice Seasoning
- 1 tsp. Cumin
- 1 tsp. Cinnamon
- 1 tsp. Curry Powder optional
- 1/4 cup Toasted Slivered Almonds
- 1/2 cup Golden Raisins
- 2- 1/2 cups Flavoured Water: Blend 1 tsp. of each vegetable and beef stock powder 1/2 tsp. 7-spice and a dash of cinnamon
Instructions
- To begin, over medium heat warm olive oil/butter blend to a pan. Add in your onions. Saute onions until they turn slightly golden around the edges approximately 8-10 minutes.
- Add in the minced garlic, 7-spice, cinnamon, cumin, curry (optional) salt and pepper. Cook the onions and spices together for 1 minute.
- Add in the golden raisins, and rice.
- Pour the Stock liquid, stir everything together and simmer for approximately 15 minutes. Take it off the heat and keep covered for another 5 minutes.
- Place the slivered almonds into a dry frying pan and toast for 3 -4 minutes. Watch closely as they can burn quickly. We just want to slightly toast them to bring out the flavours.
- Add the almonds to the rice and using a fork fluff the rice and mix in the almonds.
- Enjoy this rice along side grilled meats, or a delicious mediterranean salad. I can also recommend purchasing a garlic dip. I love to add a dollop of garlic dip next to the rice. It is so darn good!
if you like this recipe try some of these!
Let's Eat!
Thank you for taking the time to explore the flavours of Lebanese cuisine with my hashweh vegetarian spiced rice recipe.
Whether enjoyed as a comforting weeknight meal or as part of a festive gathering, may each spoonful of this aromatic dish transport you to the vibrant streets of Lebanon. From my kitchen to yours, I want to thank you for reading our blog article.
Happy cooking, and may your culinary adventures be filled with joy, flavor, and shared memories!
