Arabian Rice - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups long grain rice
1/2 cup thin vermicelli, broken into small pieces
200 g lean ground lamb or 200 g beef
4 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons butter
1 onion, chopped
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon white pepper powder
2 teaspoons ground allspice
salt, to taste
800 ml chicken stock
50 g pine nuts, lightly roasted

Preparation

Place rice in a bowl with cold water and leave to soak for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the oil and butter in a large heavy saucepan, add the chopped onion and minced meat and fry until golden brown and breaking down any lumps in the mince.
Add the broken vermicelli and fry for another 5-10 minutes till slightly brown.
Drain and wash the rice till water runs clean.
Add the rice into the pan and give it a good stir (but be careful as to not break the rice in the process).
Add in all the spices and mix it in well.
Add in the boiling-hot stock and give it all one good stir.
Cover the pan and simmer over low heat for about 15-20 minutes (till all the water's been absorbed and rice cooked through).
Take the pan off the heat, take the lid off and cover the pan with a clean towel and leave to rest for 10 minutes.
Gently fluff up the rice with a fork and serve with pine seeds sprinkled on top.