Lebanese Seven Spice Fried Rice with Vermicelli and Toasted Almonds

Name: Lebanese Seven Spice Fried Rice with Vermicelli and Toasted Almonds
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Lebanese
Ingredients: 1½ cups (300 g) long-grain basmati rice, rinsed in several changes of cold water until the water runs mostly clear; 2¼ cups (540 ml) water; ½ tsp (3 g) fine sea salt; ½ cup (60 g) dried vermicelli or fideo nests, broken into ½-inch (1 cm) pieces; 4 tbsp (57 g) unsalted butter, divided: 1 tbsp for the vermicelli, 1 tbsp for the almonds, 2 tbsp for the rice; 1 tbsp (15 ml) extra-virgin olive oil; ½ cup (55 g) slivered almonds; 1 medium (about 5 oz) (150 g) yellow onion, finely diced (¼-inch / 6 mm pieces); 2 cloves (8 g) garlic cloves, finely minced; 1½ tsp (3 g) Lebanese seven spice (baharat); ½ tsp (3 g) fine sea salt, plus more to taste; ½ cup (75 g) frozen peas, thawed under cool running water and drained (optional); ¼ cup (15 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves finely chopped; 1 large (100 g) lemon, half juiced (about 1 tbsp), half cut into wedges; 1 cup (245 g) plain whole-milk yogurt, cold, for serving (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Buttery basmati rice with golden toasted vermicelli is pan-fried with onion, garlic and warm Lebanese seven spice until fragrant and lightly crisp, then finished with crunchy almonds, parsley and lemon. A vegetarian side or a satisfying main with yogurt.

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 40 min
Wait: 1 hr 10 min
Total: 2 hr 5 min
Makes: About 6 cups (6 side servings or 4 main servings)

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Ingredients

6 servings

For the rice
1½ cups (300 g) long-grain basmati rice, rinsed in several changes of cold water until the water runs mostly clear
2¼ cups (540 ml) water
½ tsp (3 g) fine sea salt
½ cup (60 g) dried vermicelli or fideo nests, broken into ½-inch (1 cm) pieces
For the fried rice
4 tbsp (57 g) unsalted butter, divided: 1 tbsp for the vermicelli, 1 tbsp for the almonds, 2 tbsp for the rice
1 tbsp (15 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup (55 g) slivered almonds
1 medium (about 5 oz) (150 g) yellow onion, finely diced (¼-inch / 6 mm pieces)
2 cloves (8 g) garlic cloves, finely minced
1½ tsp (3 g) Lebanese seven spice (baharat)
½ tsp (3 g) fine sea salt, plus more to taste
½ cup (75 g) frozen peas, thawed under cool running water and drained (optional)
To finish
¼ cup (15 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves finely chopped
1 large (100 g) lemon, half juiced (about 1 tbsp), half cut into wedges
1 cup (245 g) plain whole-milk yogurt, cold, for serving (optional)

Equipment (5)

Medium saucepan with tight-fitting lid (3-quart / 3 L)
Fine-mesh sieve
Large 12-inch (30 cm) nonstick or well-seasoned skillet with a lid
Large rimmed tray or sheet pan, 13×18 inches (33×46 cm), for cooling the rice
Wooden spoon and flexible spatula

Steps

Before you start

Read the timing: the rice needs about 15 minutes to soak, 15 minutes to simmer plus 10 minutes to rest after cooking, and 30 minutes to cool. Cooling is what keeps the fried rice from turning mushy.
You can cook the rice up to 1 day ahead and chill it, which makes this a quick 25-minute dish on the day.
Lebanese seven spice (baharat) is typically allspice, black pepper, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, coriander and cardamom. Check that yours is fresh and smells fragrant.
Chop the onion, garlic and parsley before you start frying, because the final steps move quickly.

1
Rinse and soak rice
- Place the basmati rice in a bowl, cover with cold water, swirl with your hand and pour off the cloudy water.
- Repeat 4–5 times until the water is mostly clear.
- Cover with fresh cold water and soak for 15 minutes, then drain well in a fine-mesh sieve for about 2 minutes.
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Ready when: Grains look opaque white and the rinse water is nearly clear
Tip: Gentle swirling keeps the long grains from snapping.
2
Toast the vermicelli
- Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in the 3-quart saucepan over medium heat.
- Add the broken vermicelli and stir constantly for 3–4 minutes, until most pieces are deep golden brown, like toasted bread.
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Ready when: Vermicelli is deep golden brown and smells nutty
Tip: Keep stirring; it goes from golden to burnt in seconds, and burnt pieces taste bitter.
3
Cook the rice
- Add the drained rice to the vermicelli and stir for 1 minute to coat.
- Pour in the water and ½ teaspoon salt, then bring to a boil over high heat.
- Stir once, reduce the heat to low, cover tightly, and cook for 15 minutes without lifting the lid.
- Remove from the heat and leave covered for 10 minutes.
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Ready when: All the water is absorbed and small steam holes appear on the surface; grains are tender but separate
Tip: Lifting the lid lets steam escape and leaves the grains undercooked.
4
Cool the rice
- Fluff the rice with a fork and spread it in a thin layer on the large rimmed tray.
- Let it cool uncovered for 30 minutes, or chill it, covered, for up to 24 hours.
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Ready when: Rice is no longer steaming and feels dry and cool to the touch
Tip: Do not leave cooked rice at room temperature for more than 1 hour; refrigerate if you need longer.
5
Toast the almonds
- Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in the 12-inch skillet over medium heat.
- Add the slivered almonds and stir for 2–3 minutes, until golden and fragrant.
- Tip them onto a plate right away and wipe the skillet if any dark bits remain.
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Ready when: Almonds are light golden with darker edges and smell toasty
Tip: Slivered almonds keep browning from residual heat, so remove them from the pan immediately.
6
Soften the onion
- Return the skillet to medium heat.
- Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and the olive oil.
- When the butter foams, add the diced onion and ¼ teaspoon of the fry salt.
- Cook, stirring often, for 6–7 minutes until soft, translucent and lightly golden at the edges.
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Ready when: Onion is soft, translucent and starting to turn golden
Tip: If the onion browns too fast, reduce the heat to medium-low.
7
Bloom the spices
- Add the garlic and the seven spice to the onion.
- Stir constantly for 30–45 seconds, until the garlic smells fragrant but has not browned.
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Ready when: Spices smell warm and aromatic and coat the onion
Tip: Garlic burns quickly; move straight to the next step.
8
Fry the rice
- Raise the heat to medium-high.
- Add the cooled rice and the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, breaking up any clumps.
- Stir and toss for 3 minutes to coat every grain, then spread the rice into an even layer and leave it undisturbed for 2 minutes to crisp the bottom.
- Toss, and repeat once more, for 8–10 minutes total.
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Ready when: Rice is steaming hot throughout, evenly speckled with spice, with some golden crisp bits
Tip: Use a flexible spatula and fold gently so the rice grains stay whole.
9
Finish and season
- Stir in the peas, if using, and cook for 1 minute until hot.
- Turn off the heat.
- Fold in the toasted almonds, parsley and lemon juice.
- Taste and add a pinch more salt if needed.
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Ready when: Peas are bright green and hot; rice tastes bright and well seasoned
Tip: Add the almonds at the end so they stay crunchy.
10
Serve
- Pile the rice on a warm platter or into bowls.
- Serve at once with lemon wedges and cold yogurt on the side.

Good to know

Tips

Day-old, cooled rice gives the best texture; warm freshly cooked rice will turn gummy in the pan.
Toast the vermicelli to a deep golden brown for the best flavor, but stir constantly so it does not scorch.
Spread the rice and leave it alone for a couple of minutes at a time to get golden, lightly crisp bits.
For a main course, serve with cold yogurt, a cucumber and tomato salad, and pickled turnips.

Make ahead

Cook and cool the rice (steps 1–4) up to 24 hours ahead; refrigerate it in a covered container. Toast the almonds up to 2 days ahead and keep them airtight at room temperature. Fry the rice just before serving.

Storage & reheating

Cool leftovers within 1 hour. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Freeze (without the almonds) for up to 2 months. Reheat in a skillet over medium heat with 1–2 tablespoons water or a knob of butter for 4–5 minutes, until steaming hot throughout. Do not leave at room temperature for more than 1 hour.

Substitutions

Lebanese seven spice (baharat) → ½ tsp ground allspice + ½ tsp ground cinnamon + ½ tsp ground coriander + ¼ tsp black pepper. A quick homemade stand-in; use about 1½ tsp total.
slivered almonds → Pine nuts. Toast for 1–2 minutes only, as they brown faster; the traditional alternative.
unsalted butter → Ghee or olive oil. Ghee gives a similar nutty flavor; for a vegan version use olive oil throughout.
dried vermicelli or fideo nests → Broken thin angel hair pasta. Toast until deep golden as in the recipe.