Spiced Rice: The Pilaf Method in Levantine Context

Spiced rice — ruz — in its Levantine form follows the same pilaf principle as Turkish pilav and Persian rice: fat-toasting the grain before liquid addition, absorption cooking, and steam-resting. But the Levantine version is distinguished by the baharat and cinnamon that perfume the fat before the rice is added, and by the addition of toasted nuts and dried fruit as finishing elements.

Long-grain rice toasted in butter or oil with spices until fragrant, cooked by absorption in spiced stock, rested under a towel, and finished with toasted nuts (almonds, pine nuts) and sometimes dried fruit (raisins, apricots). The technique is pilaf; the flavour is distinctly Levantine.

Levantine spiced rice is a complete side dish rather than a neutral carrier — the spices, the toasted nuts, and the occasional dried fruit create a preparation that contributes flavour to the meal rather than merely absorbing the flavours around it. Under a slow-roasted lamb shoulder it becomes the primary textural and flavour counterpoint.