Greek rice is cooked in olive oil and flavorful broth with vegetables like onion, carrots, garlic, and spinach. It is often seasoned with fresh herbs, nuts, lemon juice, and feta cheese. It can be served hot or cold and is often paired with roasted or grilled meat. The most elaborate version is called gamopílafo, served at weddings.
In Greece, a distinctive style of rice making is like pilaf with a unique Mediterranean twist. That means the rice is often sauteed in olive oil, then cooked in a flavorful broth that’s studded with chopped or chopped greens like onion, carrots, garlic, and spinach. Giving Greek rice its signature flavor are ingredients like fresh basil, chopped nuts, lemon juice, and even chunks of feta cheese.
The process of making a standard Greek rice often begins with caramelizing chopped onions and minced garlic in olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Once the onion is almost gone, other vegetables such as diced or thinly sliced carrots and whole spinach leaves are added. Finally, a boiling broth made from chicken, pork, lamb or even vegetables is added, using the amount of liquid needed for the amount of rice to be used. After the broth is simmered, the right amount of rice with the juice of about half of a lemon is added.
Sometimes, Greek rice ran out on the stove. A pan is placed over the pan and the heat is turned down until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed – taking about 20 minutes or longer, depending on the manufacturer’s instructions. Others simply prep the vegetables in the pan, then add cooked white rice just before it’s time to serve. Another method has cooks pour boiling broth into the sauteed vegetables, add the rice and lemon juice, then use a saucepan to cook the rice in the oven. One recipe uses a stove set at around 190°C (375°F) for up to 40 minutes to produce rice that is tender and full of flavor.
Fresh herbs can be added to Greek rice during the final toss, although salt and pepper should be added at the beginning of the cooking process. Complementary herbs for Greek rice are chopped basil, parsley and mint. Others like to add nuts such as sliced almonds or pine nuts to vegetables during the cooking period. This toasts nuts for added flavor. Another regular addition to this side dish is feta cheese, often simply crumbled over the rice as a final step.
This dish is often served with roasted or grilled pork or lamb skewers. While often served hot, it wouldn’t be unusual to find it cold. Perhaps the most elaborate and time-consuming version of Greek rice is called gamopílafo, which means “wedding pilaf.” With each grain of rice symbolizing every single wish for happiness for the betrothed, this pilaf is served alongside the meat responsible for the broth, tying the whole dish together.
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