Crispy Rice Shawarma Bowl
shared by Nibblore Kitchen
Spiced beef, golden crackly rice, and sharp cucumber pickles make this bowl especially satisfying. Chilling the cooked rice before frying helps it crisp without turning greasy, while a quick yogurt-tahini sauce cools the warmly seasoned beef. It is an easy, colorful dinner that works especially well with leftover rice. • Cold leftover basmati rice works particularly well; use about 4 1/2 cups and skip the rice-cooking and chilling steps. • Do not stir the rice during its first fry. Firm contact with the hot skillet creates the broad golden crust. • Use the widest skillet you have so the rice forms a thin layer; fry it in two batches if your pan is smaller than 12 inches. • Use ground lamb or ground turkey in place of the beef, cooking poultry to 74°C. • Replace Persian cucumbers with half an English cucumber, thinly sliced. • For a sesame-free variation, omit the tahini and add two extra tablespoons of Greek yogurt. • Use prepared dill pickles if pickled red onions are unavailable. Refrigerate the beef, rice, vegetables, and sauce in separate airtight containers for up to 3 days. Freeze the cooked beef and rice separately for up to 2 months; do not freeze the sauce or cucumbers. Reheat the rice in a lightly oiled skillet over medium-high heat for 5 to 7 minutes and warm the beef separately until steaming, then assemble with the cold toppings.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Beginner-friendly
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Save to my cookbook — freeIngredients
- 1 ½ cupbasmati rice, rinsed until the water runs mostly clear
- 2 ¼ cupwater
- 1 ¼ tspkosher salt, divided
- 4 tbspolive oil, divided
- 450 gground beef, preferably 85% lean
- 2 tspground cumin
- 1 ½ tspsmoked paprika
- ½ tspground cinnamon
- 2 clovesgarlic, finely grated
- 1 cupplain Greek yogurt
- 2 tbsptahini
- 1lemon, finely zested and juiced
- 1 ½ cupPersian cucumbers, thinly sliced
- ½ cuppickled red onions, drained
Instructions
- 1Combine the rinsed rice, water, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 13 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes.
- 2Spread the cooked rice in a thin layer on a large rimmed baking sheet. Refrigerate uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until the surface feels cool and dry rather than steamy.
- 3While the rice cools, stir the yogurt, tahini, lemon zest, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons water as needed to make a thick but spoonable sauce. Toss the cucumbers with 1 tablespoon lemon juice and a pinch of the remaining salt in a separate bowl; set aside.
- 4Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef and press it into an even layer. Leave it undisturbed for 3 minutes to brown, then break it into small craggy pieces. Add the cumin, smoked paprika, cinnamon, garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until deeply browned with no pink remaining and the beef reaches 71°C. Transfer the beef to a plate and wipe out the skillet.
- 5Return the skillet to medium-high heat and add the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil. Add the cooled rice and press it into a firm, even layer about 1.5 cm thick. Cook without stirring for 6 to 8 minutes, rotating the skillet occasionally, until the underside is deeply golden and crisp.
- 6Break the rice into broad pieces with a spatula, turn the pieces, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes more until a second side is crisp while some grains remain tender. Remove from the heat.
- 7Divide the crispy rice among four bowls. Add the shawarma-spiced beef, lemony cucumbers, and pickled red onions. Drizzle generously with the yogurt-tahini sauce and serve immediately while the rice is crackly.