Ethiopian Spiced Rice with Vegetables (Zilzil Alicha Rice)

About This Recipe

This dish draws on alicha, the milder branch of Ethiopian cooking that relies on turmeric and ginger rather than the fiery berbere, resulting in a golden, gently spiced rice studded with vegetables. Onion is cooked down until soft before rice and vegetables join in to simmer together in one pot, absorbing the turmeric's earthy color and the ginger's warm, slightly sharp aroma throughout every grain. A comforting, approachable entry point into Ethiopian flavors for those newer to the cuisine, this dish shows that not every Ethiopian recipe needs to be intensely spicy to be deeply satisfying.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 2 cupslong-grain rice(rinsed)
• 3 tbspniter kibbeh or vegetable oil
• 1onion(diced)
• 3 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 1 tbspfresh ginger(minced)
• 1 tspturmeric
• 3.5 cupswater or vegetable stock
• 2carrots(diced)
• 1 cupgreen beans(cut into short pieces)
• 1.5 tspsalt

Instructions

1. 1

   Cook the onion

   Heat niter kibbeh or oil in a pot and cook onion until softened, about 8 minutes.

2. 2

   Bloom the spices

   Add garlic, ginger and turmeric, cooking 1-2 minutes until fragrant.

   Bloom the turmeric and ginger briefly in the fat before adding liquid — this releases much more of their aroma and color into the dish.

3. 3

   Add rice

   Stir in the rinsed rice, coating it in the spiced onion mixture.

4. 4

   Add liquid and vegetables

   Add water or stock, carrots, green beans and salt; bring to a boil.

5. 5

   Simmer

   Cover and simmer on low 18-20 minutes until the rice and vegetables are tender.

6. 6

   Rest and serve

   Let rest 5 minutes off heat, then fluff with a fork and serve warm.

Variations

• •

  Adding diced potato along with the carrots makes for a heartier dish.

• •

  A version with a bit of chicken added makes for a more substantial one-pot dinner.

• •

  Peas can substitute for or supplement the green beans depending on what's available.

Storage

Refrigerate up to 4 days in an airtight container; reheat gently with a splash of water to loosen the rice.

Frequently Asked Questions