Bazaella
The Levantine way of preparing peas and carrots with fluffy vermicelli rice. It’s cozy, comforting, and heartwarming. My favorite childhood dish and I can’t get enough of it. A great crowd pleaser for all ages and takes very little time and effort to make.
Serves: 4
Time: 50 minutes
Ingredients
1 bag Frozen Peas
1.5 lbs Ground Beef
1 Yellow Onion
2 Large Carrot
4-5 Garlic Cloves
3 tbsp Olive Oil (divided)
1 cup Vermicelli Noodles
2 cup Basmati Rice
1 tbsp Salt
1 tbsp Black Pepper
1 tbsp Arabic 7 Spice
2 tbsp Tomato Paste
1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
Fresh Cilantro (Garnish)
Instructions
Start by taking the basmati rice and soaking it in water for 20 minutes then strain and keep to the side. While the rice is soaking, prep the veggies by dicing the yellow onion, slicing the carrots, and mashing the garlic with a bit of salt into a fine paste.
Place a heavy bottom pot on high heat for 2 minutes then drop to medium and add 2 tbsp of olive oil. Add the diced onion and half of the minced garlic and saute until fragrant and the onions become translucent - about 5 minutes. Stir often to not burn the garlic. Add the meat and begin breaking it into small pieces - I like mine very fine so I break it down as much as possible. Cook for another 5 minutes stirring often. Next add the sliced carrots and frozen peas and cook for another 5 minutes.
Add the tomato paste, salt, arabic 7 spice, and black pepper to taste along with just enough water to cover the top. Mix and let it simmer for 15-20 minutes.
For the rice, place a medium pot on high heat for 2 minutes then drop to medium. Add a tbsp of olive oil and the vermicelli noodles and mix so they’re well coated in oil. Cook for 3-5 minutes stirring often until the noodles have browned.
Add the basmati rice along with 4 cups of water and some salt to taste. Cook on low heat until all the water has been absorbed, about 10 minutes.
Optional: This is not traditional, just something I like to do. Place a small pan on high heat for a couple minutes then drop to medium. Add a tbsp of olive oil, the remaining minced garlic, and red pepper flakes. Flash fry until fragrant and immediately dump into the stew and mix.
Plate the rice and the stew on top. Garnish with fresh cilantro and enjoy