Greek Rice Recipe

[dennis77]

Does anyone have a recipe for Greek Rice. You know the rice you get served in most of the greek restaurants. I believe they use par boiled rice.

[Jinmyo]

Hm. Could you be more specific? THere are many different kinds of Greek rice dishes.

I don't think it's usually par-boiled rice but since it's often cooked with lamb stock the rice has a colour that might look like par-boiled rice to you.

[dennis77]

It is usually the type of rice you get when you order a souvalaki dinner at one of the fast food greek restaurants.

[Suzanne F]

Um, the Greek place closest to me just uses Uncle Ben's. And water.

[Dana]

Doesn't it usually have a little cinnamon in it?

[Jinmyo]

Oh. Sorry, Dennis. I wouldn't know then.

[theakston]

Parboiled rice? You're not getting rice mixed up with orzo are you? Orzo is the pasta that looks a little like rice. Very common in Greek restaurants.

[KatieLoeb]

I checked three Greek cookbooks for "pilaf" recipes. Here's the basic distillation of what was common.

Melt butter in a saucepan. Add one small diced onion, measured rice (long grain white - they ALL recommended Uncle Ben's!) and half as much orzo pasta as rice to the butter and stir for a few minutes until opaque (sounds like the start of risotto, no?). Add 2.5x the total measure of rice/orzo of chicken broth, juice of one lemon and a bay leaf. Bring to boil and then cover and simmer until the water is absorbed. Opa! You got Greek rice.

edited for clarity

Edited June 11, 2003 by KatieLoeb (log)