This is an Arabic staple that is commonly served with main dishes throughout the Middle East. It only requires four ingredients: butter or olive oil, white rice, vermicelli noodles and salt. I personally prefer to use olive oil instead of butter as it’s healthier, but it tastes superb with either!

Preparation time: 5 minutes. Cooking time: 15 minutes.

Ingredients (serves 3-4 people)

• 2 cups of white basmati rice
• 1/2 cup of vermicelli noodles
• 2 1/2 cups of boiling water
• 2 tbsp. of butter or olive oil
• Salt to taste

Preparation and Cooking

1. Wash the white basmati rice well under cold water.
2. Heat the olive oil or butter over medium heat, then add the vermicelli noodles and stir until they start to brown (this should take 1 minute or so).
3. Add the basmati rice to the pot and mix to combine the rice with the vermicelli noodles, then add 2 1/2 cups of boiling water.
4. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot and let it cook gently for 15 minutes.
5. Turn off the heat and fluff the rice with a fork before serving.