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Greek Rice – Arroz a Grega

November 16, 2016 by Lori 2 Comments

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Greek rice feature image

Is this Brazilian dish, called Greek Rice, really Greek?  Got me!  All I know is that it was a well-loved dish growing up.  And I always had it paired with Greek Shrimp Skewers (Camarão a grega).

I first remember having Greek rice when my dad accepted a job that took us back to Brazil from SE Iowa when I was 10.  While my parents were house hunting, Dad’s company put us up in a hotel in downtown Curitiba called Hotel Colonial.  I doubt that it is around anymore, but at the time, although it was not the ritziest of the hotels in town, it was definitely a nice place.  The restaurant was on the top floor, with tuxedoed waiters, excellent food, and amazing service.  And though I don’t remember exactly how long we were there, I know it was more than two months.   So, it was long enough for the wait staff to know us by name and to spoil my older sister and younger brother and I when we would sometimes go up to dinner unaccompanied.

But I digress…The reason I brought up Hotel Colonial is because that’s where I remember having Greek rice for the first time, served with Greek Shrimp Skewers and fried shoestring potatoes.  I love those memories!

Greek rice is a savory dish, with several layers of flavor, and with a contrasting sweetness from raisins.  It is SO easy to make and pairs as a side dish with just about anything you want it to complement.

Let’s see what goes into Greek Rice

Ingredients for Greek Rice

Please don’t omit any of these ingredients, unless you just won’t eat them.  They each play a vital role in the final flavor profile.  In other words, they were made for each other…at least in Greek rice.  The tang of the peppers, the sweetness of the raisins, the buttery peas, and the flavor and texture of the carrots always make me happy.  I’d love to meet whoever came up with this recipe and give him or her a great big hug!

You can substitute chicken bouillon to make your own broth, or use chicken stock.  All work well without significantly changing the dish.

Let’s look at the steps to assemble Greek rice

Veggies for Greek rice

Start by chopping your onions and carrots and dicing your peppers and garlic.

Sauteing veggies for Greek rice

Next, sauté your veggies in the olive oil, just until the onions become opaque.

Sauteing rice for Greek rice

Then add the rice and cook it for about a minute, stirring frequently.

Adding broth to Greek rice

Finally, add the broth, and bring it to a boil.  At this point, add your salt to taste.  Then, cover, reduce the flame, and cook until the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is loose and tender.  About 20 minutes.

Adding raisins and peas to Greek rice

Halfway through the cooking, add the raisins and the peas to the rice.  Stir to distribute and cover to finish cooking.

You need to wait to add these because both are a little more delicate.  If you add them at the beginning, the peas become dull and mushy.  And the raisins can bloat in the cooking liquid and lose some of their concentrated sweetness, making the savory elements sweet too.  You want a more distinct separation between savory and sweet.

Greek rice final image

When done, transfer to a serving bowl and serve hot.

Come on, everyone.  Isn’t this beautiful?  It tastes as good as it looks.  And like I said, although it will go great with steak, or chicken, or fish, my child’s heart loves it with Greek Shrimp Skewers!

I’d love to hear what you pair it with!

Greek rice feature image

Greek Rice - Arroz a Grega

Lori
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Total Time 25 mins

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup uncooked rice
  • 2 cups chicken broth or stock
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/3 cup onion chopped
  • 1 medium garlic clove diced
  • 3 tablespoons chopped carrots
  • 2 boxes raisins 1 ounce each
  • 3 tablespoons frozen peas thawed
  • 3 tablespoons diced sweet peppers diced
  • Salt

Instructions
 

  • Start by chopping the carrots and onions and dicing the peppers and garlic.
  • Heat a pan on medium and add the olive oil,
  • Add the chopped and diced items and sauté just until the onion is opaque.
  • Add the rice and cook for about a minute.
  • Then add the chicken broth.
  • Add salt to taste at this point.
  • Then bring to a boil, cover and reduce the heat to low.
  • Cook until the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is loose and tender, about 20 minutes.
  • Halfway through the cooking process, add the raisins and peas.
  • Stir to distribute, then cover and continue cooking the rice.
  • Serve hot.

 

 

 

 

Thanks for sharing!

Filed Under: Sides Tagged With: Brazilian, Carrots, Chicken, Comfort Food, Every Day Meals, Garlic, Olive Oil, Onions, Peas, Raisins, Rice, Sweet Peppers

Previous Post: « Gourmet Quesadillas
Next Post: Greek Shrimp Skewers – Camarão a Grega »

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Comments

  1. Ziad says

    November 20, 2016 at 9:43 pm

    YUMMM!!! And loving the story behind it!

    There are variations of this around the Mediterranean and east ward. We frequently cook rice with fideo noodles mixed in too. For me, it is hardcore comfort food–this, with a side of plain yogurt, is solace, especially if you have a tired stomach 🙂

    And you know me, I would skip the raisin. I just don’t like them in savory food, though they’re a typical ingredient in many common dishes.

    Reply
  2. Lori says

    November 21, 2016 at 7:14 am

    You are right, Ziad. This dish definitely has two camps of followers. There are the ones that would omit the raisins, and others who think the dish just isn’t the same without them.

    Reply

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