Looking for a quick one-pot rice dish? The Ouzi rice is among the most popular Middle Eastern recipes for its simple preparation. Since it involves a single pot, you can wash only a few pots after preparing it!

What ouzi rice?

Ouzi rice is a traditional Arab dish that people in this region often love to eat. It combines precooked rice with carrots, lamb, and beans. You can make ouzi dish with your version of ingredients. The combination all the ingredients together creates a soul-satisfying flavour. 

This rice recipe uses aromatic spices such as cinnamon, cardamom, dried lime, etc., but the main ingredients are mined ground lamb or beef and basmati rice. Other ingredients include almonds, pine nuts, onion, carrots, peas, and ghee. 

Ingredients for ouzi rice recipe

Here is the list of ingredients you need for ouzi dish.

Preparation Time: 15 Minutes

Cook Time: 20 Minutes

Total time: 35 Minutes 

Ingredients required 

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp ghee
• 2 cups of dry basmati rice
• 1 lb ground lamb or beef 
• 4-5 cardamom pods
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 ½ cups frozen vegetables
• 1 large onion
• 3 cups of hot water
• ½ tsp ground cloves
• ½ tsp ground white pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 whole dried lime
• 2 tsp Lebanese 7 spices mix 
• Salt to taste 
• Pepper to taste

Preparing ouzi rice recipe

First, wash and drain the basmati rice and keep aside. 

Now, take a large pot, pour some olive oil in it, and heat it. Then, add onions and cook them until they become translucent and caramelized. 

Then, add the lamb cooked thoroughly. Add the spices with salt and stir them until the lamb ouzi becomes browned.

Next, mix the frozen vegetables and rice. Fry them for about 3 minutes with the meat and onion mixture. You can then add hot water. 

Boil the mixture for about five minutes without covering them. Continue boiling until the water gets reduced slightly. Then, lower the heat and cover the pot. Let it steam for about 20 minutes. Make sure that the basmati rice has absorbed water completely and the rice has become tender.

You can then fry the nuts in ghee until they become golden in colour. Then, pour the ghee over the rice before serving. 

When using spices, prefer whole spices that are always fresh. This ensures that the flavour remains fresh for a longer time.  

 Fluff the rice using a fork and transfer to the serving bowls to enjoy! 

How to serve 

Traditionally, this ouzi recipe was served with a yogurt mint salad. To prepare this salad, thick Greek-style yogurt is mixed with dried mint and salt. Cucumbers, fresh garlic, mint, lemon juice, salt, and pepper are also added.

Alternatively, you can serve the dish with plain yogurt and have something saucy to dip rice. 

Wrapping Up 

Overall, the ouzi rice recipe is one of the best dishes that you can prepare quickly without using many ingredients. You need rice and lamb as the main ingredients, and you add some spices to get the dish cooked in a few minutes. Make it on any day for your loved ones and treat their taste-buds!