For all the rice dishes in this category I will use Basmati rice. If you can get your hands on Egyptian rice, then by all means do, you will absolutely love the difference! Unfortunately I can not find it where I live, so I use my next favourite which is Basmati.

I also always rinse my rice well before using, it helps get rid of some of the starch.

Ingredients:

2 cups rice (rinsed)

2 vermicelli balls (crushed, as in picture)

¼ cup pine nuts

3 small grains mastic (it adds a lovely aroma)

water as per cooking instructions of your rice

1 soup cube

Method:

Brown the pine nuts in a tiny bit of olive oil, keep your eye on it as it tends to burn very fast.

Place on kitchen paper to drain off excess oil and set aside, you won’t need it until the very end

put the crushed vermicelli in a frying pan, add some olive oil, and toast till dark golden. Make sure you keep stirring to colour evenly

in the pot where you’re going to cook the rice, add a bit of olive oil, add the 3 grains of mastike, and heat till you see the mastike melting

add the water, the soup cube

add the rice

add the vermicelli

some crushed pepper corn

adjust salt if needed

cover & simmer till cooked

transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle the pine nuts on top.

Enjoy!