Lebanese spiced rice, also known as hashweh rice, is a classic, Middle Eastern style rice pilaf with spiced meat that is an easy one pot meal to throw together. Served alone or as rice stuffing mixture- an easy family favorite. Versatile and delicious!

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What is Lebanese spiced rice?

Lebanese rice is known as hashweh in Arabic. Hashweh translates literally into “stuffing”. This rice mixture is commonly used to stuff items (like Ouzi). Hashweh rice in its simplest form is made of spiced rice and spiced ground meat.

The nice thing about this Lebanese rice pilaf is it’s so good on it’s own too. I often serve this as is, and it makes for a hearty and comforting meal. It’s so delicious!

The spices usually used to flavor this rice are seven spices ( a Middle Eastern spice blend), cinnamon, salt and pepper. They add so much flavor to the rice and meat mixture, infusing with warm Middle Eastern spices.

Why should I make Lebanese rice?

It’s the simplest one pot meal. Everything gets cooked in one pot and layered so that the whole dish is packed with flavor.

The combination of just a few simple spices transform this Middle Eastern rice pilaf. It elevates rice from a boring side dish to an absolute star!

This lunch or dinner will take about 30 minutes max and feeds a crowd. Kids love this!

This recipe is versatile. You can serve it alone, or use it as an ingredient in other dishes. Find some suggestions below.

Ingredients you need to make hashweh rice:

The rice: I use basmati rice that I presoak for 15 minutes or so, then rinse until the water runs clear to remove any excess starchiness. Perfect for fluffy rice!

The meat: You can use either minced lamb or minced beef. I’ve used both depending on what I have in the fridge or freezer. This post gives you full details on how to cook minced meat, Middle Eastern style. I actually don’t always use the full amount of meat stated in the recipe, but you could for a meatier pilaf. Alternately, you can use half and freeze the rest for up to 3 months which will come in handy!

The spices: seven spices, or all spice are essential. Cinnamon comes next, along with salt and pepper. Some people add cumin or ground coriander or a bunch of other things, but I don’t find that necessary.

The extras: We always use frozen peas. You don’t need to pre-thaw the peas completely, just rinse them a little to get rid of any ice chunks and throw them in the pot. We sometimes add frozen corn too, or frozen mixed pea/corn/carrots. It’s peas that are always the common factor- they really help turn the Lebanese rice with ground beef into a complete meal.

How to make your own seven spices:

Seven spices are a very commonly used spice blend in the Middle East. You can absolutely substitute with all spice, but if you can’t find seven spices or all spice, here’s a great recipe for you to make an easy homemade version.

Ratio of water to basmati rice:

My family has always done it this way: 1 cup of rice to 1.5 cups of water. The water will end up covering the rice by a 1/2 inch or so before cooking, then will get absorbed. You’ll get fluffy rice that still holds its shape and isn’t mushy. I’ve tried adding more and I’ve tried adding less but always come back to the 1:1.5 ratio.

How to make hashweh:

1. In a large skillet over medium high heat, add the olive oil. Once hot, add the diced onions and cook for 3-4 minutes until softened, stirring continuously.
2. Add the crushed garlic, and cook for a further minute or so, then add the minced meat.
3. Cook for a minute, breaking apart any clumps of meat with a wooden spoon, then add all the spices (seven spice or all spice, cinnamon, salt and black pepper).
4. Continue cooking, a good 6-8 minutes until lamb is all cooked through and brown with no pink bits remaining. Keep stirring and breaking apart clumps of meat through out- you can even use a potato masher to break the meat apart a little.
5. If desired, drain any extra fat. Taste the mince and adjust for seasoning.
6. Meanwhile, soak the basmati rice for 15-20 minutes, then drain and rinse with water until water runs clear.
7. To a large saucepan, add the minced meat (I don’t always use all of it, I usually use around 300 grams or so), plus the drained basmati rice, the frozen peas, and 3.5 cups of water. Sprinkle with a big pinch of salt, pepper, and some additional all spice or seven spices. Stir to combine.
8. Bring the contents of the saucepan to a boil, uncovered, then cover with a tight fitting lid, reduce heat to a low simmer, and simmer for 20 minutes or until water is all absorbed. Remove pan from heat but let it sit covered for an additional 10 minutes, then uncover and fluff with a fork.
9. Garnish with toasted pine nuts/almonds (See notes) and chopped parsley, if desired

What to serve Lebanese spiced rice with:

Either have this as the main dish, with a side of yogurt cucumber salad, recipe here. This is commonly how we eat this.

You can amp up this dish by topping with shredded cooked chicken, a very common preparation. It’s called Lebanese chicken and rice, recipe here.

You can also use Lebanese rice as a stuffing mixture,(like for stuffing a chicken before roasting, or stuffing ouzi, which are filo dough wrapped rice parcels).

It can also be eaten alone, with toasted pine nuts (find method in recipe notes). Some people choose to top it with shredded chicken, which makes another delicious meal.

Storing leftover rice:

Leftover rice can be refrigerated tightly covered and stored for 3-4 days. You can prepare the cooked meat mixture 1-2 days in advance, storing it in the fridge. You can also cook the spiced minced meat and freeze it for up to 3-4 months. If I was doing this, I’d divide the meat into two batches so I could pull out one small batch and thaw overnight as needed.

Recipe Tips and Tricks:

• Make sure you soak your basmati rice, then rinse until the water goes clear. This’ll give you the best fluffy rice that isn’t waterlogged or mushy.
• I hate when I get big clumps of ground beef, so make sure you spend your time separating it while it cooks. You can use a wooden spoon, a potato masher, even kitchen scissors.
• Brown the meat reaaally well until it dries out and starts to turn a little crispy. This’ll make sure it isn’t too soggy before adding the rice, and also give more flavor.
• Taste the meat for seasoning before adding the rice. If you think it’s bland, don’t hesitate to add more spices or salt.

Recipe FAQs:

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