Spiced Somali Rice or Bariis Iskukaris
Spiced Somali Rice is unlike any dish you've ever had: it's packed with flavor and so aromatic! Imagine some basmati rice cooked in stock along with sauteed onions and tomatoes and a special spice mix made with cumin, coriander garlic, cardamom, cinnamon, and black pepper. It's topped with delicious fried onions and soft raisins. If you're looking for a new recipe to spice up your meals, this is it!
Ingredients
- 1 cup basmati rice soaked in water for an hour and drained
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 medium yellow onion thinly sliced
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 medium tomato diced
- 1/2 tbsp ground coriander
- 1 cube chicken or vegetable stock
- 1/4 tsp ground cardamom or 4-5 cardamom pods
- 1 stick cinnamon
- 3 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 3 tbsp water
- salt to taste
- 1/4 tsp powdered food coloring (orange) or 2-3 drops gel food coloring mixed with 1 tsp water
- 1/4 cup raisins softened
Instructions
- Cook the basmati rice in salted water until half cooked (some of the rice should be translucent and some should be white). I usually cook mine for 7-8 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- In a medium pan over medium-high heat, add the vegetable oil. Once the oil is hot (around 350F - 375F), add the sliced onion and fry until golden brown and fragrant, then remove from the oil and place onto a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Do not discard the oil!
- In the same pan over medium heat, add the diced onion to the oil and saute for a minute. Add in the chicken or vegetable stock cube, and the tomato and saute for another minute. Then add in the cardamom and cinnamon. Saute for another minute. Add in the garlic, cumin, and pepper. Saute until the onions are soft and translucent. Stir continuously to keep the mixture from burning.
- Add in the water and stir. Top the mixture with the basmati rice. Do NOT mix! Simply place the rice on top of the mixture and make sure the oil mixture is entirely covered. Reduce heat to the lowest setting. Top the rice with the softened raisins and the fried onions. Dot the rice with the orange food coloring. Do not mix. Wrap the lid of your pan with a clean kitchen towel, then place it on the pan.
- Steam for 8-10 minutes, the rice should release a cloud of steam when removing the lid. Turn off the heat and allow it to rest covered for 5 minutes. Remove the lid and gently mix until the onions, raisins, and food coloring are combined into the rice. Serve! If you used cardamom pods, you should remove them before serving.
Notes
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