Ouzi

It's been some time since I've written anything about Jordan, so to get back on track, I thought I might share with you all a dish that I have learned to make while here. It's a simple, yet delicious rice and meat dish called Ouzi.  Please note that I've taken my own creative license in making this dish so this may not be the exact traditional Arab dish. I also make up the quantities of the ingredients because I don't measure when I make the dish myself.

Main Ingredients for Ouzi:

3-4 cups rice (both short grain and long grain work)
1 pound ground beef
3-4 large carrots  (chopped)
Small bag frozen peas
1-2 cups golden raisins
1-2 onions (chopped)
2 cups slivered almonds OR pine nuts (pine nuts are expensive, but also more delicious. take your pick)

Spices for Rice and Meat:

Necessary:
Chicken Bullion Cubes (amount you use based on how much rice you're making)
Pepper
7 Spices (a common spice mix found in Jordan which claims to includes all spice, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, rose and cardamom)

Optional:
Cardamom seeds (delicious addition, but not necessary since they're expensive in the US)
Cumin
Salt 

 Ingredients for Yogurt Salad
4 cups plain yogurt
3-4 cucumbers (chopped)



Kitchen Utensils:
2 large pots
1 pan
Sharp knife for  cutting vegetables
Strainer for draining peas and carrots and raisins
Large serving dish (diameter of at least 1.5 feet)


STEPS:

1) Boil water for the rice and add spices to this water. The intensity of the spices is up to you, but I usually put about 3 -4 tablespoons of the 7 spices mix in 6-8 cups of water.   As for the chicken bullion, follow the instructions on the package (usually 1 cube per 2 cups or water or so). I don't add salt since the bullion has a lot of salt in it already. Also at this time,  pre-soak your rice and put another pot on the stove to begin boiling water for the peas and carrots. 

2) While water is boiling and rice is soaking,  saute the chopped onions in olive oil. When the onions are cooked and slightly golden brown, add the ground beef and about a tablespoon or two of the seven spice mix. Cook the meat until it's done and set aside this onion/ beef/ spice mixture in another bowl. You will need to clean the pan so you can use it again to toast the almonds in a few minutes.

First saute the onions and then the ground beef in the same pan.

Then put the cooked meat and onions in a separate dish for now.

3) Add rice to the spiced boiling water. Of course, follow the 2-1 rule when adding rice. I usually use 3-4 cups of rice to 6-8 cups of water.  Cover and let cook on low heat.

4) Boil about 2 cups of water using whatever method you'd like (kettle, microwave, stove, etc).  Soak the golden raisins in this boiling water for 20 minutes, or until the rice is cooked.

5) Add chopped carrots to the PLAIN boiling water (not spiced boiling water for rice).  Cook for a while, then add peas to the mix. Carrots usually take longer to cook so I add the carrots first and peas later. Boil until cooked all the way through. Be sure to strain the peas and carrots as soon as they are cooked, as they tend to lose flavor if they sit in the water. 

6) Add 1-2 tablespoons of corn or vegetable oil to the clean pan and heat oil.  When the pan is hot, add almonds and shake pan/ stir almonds so that the the entire pan and all almonds are covered lightly in oil. Stir constantly on medium heat. When almonds begin to appear light brown, cook for maybe a minute more then turn off the heat and remove almonds from the pan immediately. (If you leave it on the stove, the almonds will continue to cook and burn).  Place almonds in a bowl/on a place covered with paper towel to soak up excess oil. Save the almonds to place on the dish in the last step.

 

7) When the rice is done, the peas and carrots are ready and the raisins have been soaked for some time, add everything together in the rice pot and stir together.

Add peas, carrots and raisins to the rice and stir. (Raisins not pictured here)

8) Layer all ingredients on the large serving dish. First, the spiced rice (with peas, carrots and raisins mixed in). Then, the ground beef and sauteed onions. Then, the sauteed almond.

9) Add the chopped cucumbers to the yogurt and mix together. Put this yogurt salad on the side of your ouzi.

10) ENJOY!