Rice Pilaf with Vermicelli

Name: Rice Pilaf with Vermicelli
Yield: Serves 4 as a side dish
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups, basmati rice or long-grain rice; 3 1/4 cups, water; 1 1/2 teaspoons, table salt; , ground black pepper; 3 tablespoons, unsalted butter; 1 , small onion, minced (about 1/2 cup); 4 ounces, vermicelli, broken into 1-inch pieces (about 1 cup); 2 medium cloves, garlic, minced; 1/2 teaspoon, ground cumin; 1/2 teaspoon, ground coriander; pinch, allspice

Side Dishes
Pasta
Rice
Vegetarian

Appears in Cook's Illustrated March/April 2000

Traditional recipes insist that for a truly great pilaf you must soak or at least repeatedly rinse the rice before cooking. Is this really necessary, or is it just an old wives' tale?

SERVES 4 as a side dish

TIME 1 hour

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