Egyptian Baked Rice (Your Taste Buds Will Thank You!)

I did not know I was missing out on life until I tried Egyptian baked rice. Over the holidays, my sister, an aunt and I visited our 'extended' Egyptian family and were treated to some delicious cuisine. The meal included Egyptian baked rice.

We loved it so much that we had to try it out ourselves! The following day, we gathered together the ingredients and got to work. [It was super simple.] Knowing that we may ingest quite a bit, we opted for coconut milk instead of 'regular' milk. What was the result? Absolute deliciousness that was a cross between a dessert and a central carbohydrate for a savory meal.

Apparently, there is a Guyunese dish that is terribly similar to the baked rice with coconut milk. Their variation includes black eyed peas. Don't worry...E and I will try this out soon!

Deliciousness in a bowl!

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Yes! We totally devoured it!

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Here is a recipe, courtesy of Bram Cookware.
[NB: Instead of a Bram, we used a deep dish aluminum foil oven pan. We used Jasmine rice, which turned out nicely; we maintained the 1:2 (rice to milk) ratio; and opted for less butter (just enough delicate flakes to evenly distribute across the top). Baking time should be adjusted for yield.]

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Yield:  generously serves 4
Prep Time:  10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour

This is a very traditional Egyptian rice dish that’s super easy to make and very good. It’s always cooked in a bram, an open casserole with high sides. It has a slightly creamy texture and can accompany any dish you’d normally serve with plain white rice. In Egypt, they use very generous amounts of ground black pepper over the top before putting it in the oven.
 
Pot
1½ to 2 qt. bram (see notes)

Ingredients
2 cups sushi or short grain rice (see notes)
4 cups whole milk
1 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. butter
Freshly ground black pepper to taste


Preparation
Preheat oven to 385º F.

Place rice and milk in pot. Add about 1 teaspoon of salt and stir. Distribute butter in thin shavings over surface. Top with generous amount of freshly ground pepper. Place on baking sheet as safeguard from spills. Bake for about 1 hour, checking after 30 minutes to make sure it is not bubbling over. Rice is done when you see a rich golden brown crust.

Notes
BRAM: This recipe is sized for our medium brams. If using a smaller or larger size, simply adjust the recipe accordingly. The ratio is one part rice to two parts milk. The ingredients should fill most of the pot before cooking, coming up to about 1 inch below the top of the pot.

RICE: In Egypt, this recipe is made with their traditional short grain rice that is very similar to sushi rice. This Japanese short grain rice is widely available in stores and works best to give you authentic results and a creamy texture. You can substitute it for medium or long grain rice such as basmati or jasmine, but expect a less creamy and much drier texture. Either way is good.