See serving suggestions, and be sure to view the video tutorial for how to make hashweh.
What is Hashweh?
In our household, this Lebanese rice has been lovingly named, “dirty rice.” It is more properly known throughout the Middle East as hashweh, which literally means stuffing or stuffed. Hashweh is a one-pot rice dish, loaded with ground or minced beef (or lamb), lots of toasted nuts and dried fruit like raisins. It is anything but bland. Expect layers of flavor in each bite, thanks to aromatics and warm Middle Eastern spices like cinnamon and allspice.
So as you can see, this loaded Lebanese rice is anything but an average “stuffing” to be tucked in or added as a side. Sure, it can be that. And it’s a must holiday side dish for me (think Thanksgiving and Christmas.) But it can easily be the main star on any given night, don’t you agree?
How to Make Hashweh
(be sure to also watch the video tutorial below)
Hashweh is really simple to make. It takes only a few simple steps and a couple of pro tips: 1- A very important first step is to rinse and soak the rice in water for a few minutes. This helps get rid of excess starch so the rice is not sticky. It also allows the rice to cook more quickly and evenly (you end up using less water in cooking than you see in typical rice dishes.) 2- The cooking process for hashweh begin with browning the meat (you can use ground beef or lamb), along with aromatics and warm spices. We are layering flavors from the very start!
3- Once the meat is fully cooked, we add our drained rice right on top (all in one pot). We also make sure to add a little more of the same spices to carry the flavors through. Water and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil are the last couple ingredients to add. Bring to a boil until the water reduces by a lot. Then cover and cook.
4- Important tip, once the hashweh rice is fully cooked through, the best thing you can do to it is to leave it covered and undisturbed for a few minutes before uncovering it. This is important for texture and flavor.
5- To serve the hashweh rice, simply turn it onto a plate (watch my video below to see how I do it), then add all the beautifully toasted nuts and raisins, maybe a little parsley for garnish. Glorious!
What to serve with Hashweh Lebanese Rice?
Sure, this gorgeous Lebanese rice makes a great side dish. And I do often serve it as a gluten-free stuffing alternative for Thanksgiving! But, I have no shame serving it as a main course with a couple of yummy sides. I like to turn hashweh Lebanese rice into dinner bowls with a side salad like this chickpea salad or fattoush and a little creamy roasted garlic hummus! The kind of dinner bowl equal in awesomeness to these Greek Keftedes dinner bowls or this Lebanese Fatteh! And if you have leftover ground lamb, use it to make Greek Lamb Burgers the next night!
Watch the Video Below for How to Make Hashweh Lebanese Rice:
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