7 Spice Beef Bowls
This is the go to dish in my house when we just want a quick dinner without much effort. It comes together in just 30 minutes, even faster if you know your way around a kitchen, and is a crowd pleaser for all ages. It’s a bowl made of 7 spiced beef, rice, and a salad. It really doesn’t get much simpler than that. But the flavor here is something you can’t get at any fast casual restaurant.
Serves: 2
Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
Pickled Onion:
0.5 Red Onion
0.3 cup White Vinegar
1 cup Boiling Water
1 tsp Sugar
1 tsp Salt
Salad:
2 Persian Cucumbers
2 cups Cherry Tomato
0.25 cup Fresh Parsley
1 Lemon
2 tbsp Olive Oil
1-2 tbsp Zawi Sald Blend
1 tsp Salt
Rice:
0.5 cup Vermicelli Noodles
1 cup Basmati Rice
1 tbsp Ghee or Neutral Oil
1 tsp Salt
2 cups Hot Water
Meat:
1.5lbs Ground Beef
1 tbsp Ghee or Neutral Oil
1 tbsp Zawi Arabic 7 Spice
1 tsp Salt
Pine Nuts (garnish)
Instructions
First I like to make a quick pickled onion. This is optional but compliments the dish really well. You can also go with store bought as well if you prefer.
To make the pickled onion, slice the onion in half, remove the tops and bottoms, and peel back the outer layer. Then slice the onion into strips from tip to root. Place the slices in a bowl and add the vinegar, 1 tsp salt, sugar, and boiling water. Mix it well and set aside to cool while you make the rest. The longer this sits, the better it is!
Next slice the cucumber into quarters then finely dice. Cut the tomatoes into quarters or finely dice as you like. And last finely chop some fresh parsley. Put that all into a mixing bowl. Season with 1 tsp salt, zawi salad blend, juice of one lemon, and olive oil. Mix well and set aside.
Next is the rice. I made vermicelli rice which is just a step up from plain white rice. First wash your rice a few times until it runs clear and set aside. In a small pot add the ghee or neutral oil and allow it to all heat up for a minute. Then drop in some vermicelli noodles and toast in the fat until it becomes a dark brown color. Then add the washed rice with salt, mix it well for another minute, then add water. Bring to a simmer, cover, and let it cook for about 10 minutes on low heat.
Finally the meat. Bring a skillet to temperature, add a bit of ghee or neutral oil, then drop in the meat. It should sizzle immediately when it hits the pan. Break the meat up into small pieces, season with salt and Zawi 7 spice, and continue cooking until a majority of the fat renders out (about 5-7 minutes). If you like you can toast some pine nuts in ghee and mix in with the meat but this is totally up to you.
Put everything together, garnish with some extra parsley and Aleppo pepper, and enjoy.
