Hashweh Rice (Arabic Rice with ground beef)

If you love a truly satisfying one-pot meal, this Middle Eastern hashweh rice is the one to make. Made with fragrant basmati rice, spiced ground beef, and a mix of frozen vegetables, it’s a classic comfort dish. Warm spices like cinnamon and allspice give the rice it’s signature aroma, while everything cooks together in one pot for minimal cleanup. One of my favourite things about this recipe is how practical it is – using frozen vegetables means you can make this easy hashweh rice any night of the week. This is a reader favourite!

My Go-To Weeknight Dish: Hashweh Rice

I almost always have a pack of ground beef and mixed vegetables in my freezer, and basmati rice in my pantry. On days when I don’t know what to make, this is the recipe I reach for. It has a starch, a protein and some vegetables so the mom in me feels like it’s a one-pot winner.

The word hashweh in Arabic means “filling” because it’s actually made with the typical “all-purpose” Arabic ground beef filling used for other dishes like Sheikh El Mahshi, Arabic Pasta, baked kibbeh, Egyptian Goulash and a host of other dishes.

The seasoning on the beef is my favourite combination of two spices: cinnamon and allspice. If you have it on hand, you can also substitute seven spice which will give a similar flavour profile.

Now the key to perfecting this recipe is the water to rice ratio, especially because the classic “finger” measurement will be thrown off since we have other ingredients like the beef and vegetables. Follow this exact ratio and you’ll have perfectly fluffy rice.

Ingredients And Notes

For the ground beef, I prefer to use lean but you can use regular as well. I suggest sticking to white basmati rice because it’s the easiest rice to cook handles moisture very well. You will also need frozen vegetables like peas and carrots.

The almonds and raisins are an optional topping, but adding that extra crunch and sweetness takes this dish from a weeknight recipe to a special one!

How to make Hashweh Rice – Step by Step

The process is quite simple and comes together in one pot. Here’s what you need to do:

• Start by finely dicing the onions, then in a non-stick pot, cook for 5-7 minutes until softened.
• Add the ground beef and break it up with a wooden spoon. Cook for 7-10 minutes until browned and all the juices dry up. This is crucial for building the beef flavour.
• Add the frozen vegetables and all the spices. Mix well to combine and continue to cook until all the moisture is gone.

• Wash the rice very well several times until the water runs clear and drain. Add it to the pot and gently mix it. Allow it to start bubbling on medium high heat, which should only take a few minutes. As soon as it starts to bubble, cover and set the heat to low. Leave it undisturbed for 20 minutes.
• If you’re using the garnish, toast the almonds with 1/2 tablespoon of oil, stirring constantly until golden. Then add in the raisins to warm them through.
• Fluff the rice with a fork and serve with the garnish on top.

Tips To Guarantee Fluffy Rice

Here are a few key tips to ensure the rice is perfect:

• Make sure you wash your rice very well several times until the water runs clear. This process gets rid of any excess starch in the rice, which is what makes rice clump and become sticky.

• Before adding the rice to the pot, make sure the meat and vegetable mixture is as dry as possible. We don’t want to introduce more moisture from the vegetables and beef because that will interfere with the rice to water ratio and may lead to overcooked and mushy rice.

• Ensure you’re using a pot with a secure lid, and if you need to, add a towel on top when you cook the rice, covered. For the rice to come out really fluffy, we want to trap all the steam inside the pot, and if your pot is letting some steam escape, then it may result in undercooked rice.

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Hashweh Rice (Arabic Keema Rice with ground beef)

Yield: 10 servings

Prep: 5 minutes mins

Cook: 40 minutes mins

Author: Amina Al-Saigh

Hashweh rice is delicious Middle Eastern rice with ground beef and vegetables. Seasoned with warm spices and cooked to fluffy perfection, it’s the perfect complete meal in one pot! 

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Ingredients

 

½x1x2x

• ▢ 650 g lean ground beef
• ▢ 2 onions, small, finely diced
• ▢ 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• ▢ 3 cups frozen peas and carrots
• ▢ 3 teaspoons allspice
• ▢ 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ▢ 3 1/2 teaspoons salt
• ▢ 3/4 teaspoon black pepper, more per preference
• ▢ 3 cups white basmati rice
• ▢ 4 1/2 cups water

For Garnish

• ▢ 1/2 cup slivered almonds, optional
• ▢ 1/4 cup raisins, optional
• ▢ 1/4 cup parsley, optional

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Instructions

 

• Start by finely dicing the 2 onions. Then, to a non-stick pot, add the 3 tablespoons vegetable oil and the onions and cook on medium heat for 5 minutes until onions are softened slightly.
• Add the 650 g lean ground beef and break it down using a wooden spoon. Cook it on medium heat for 7-10 minutes until browned and the juices start to dry up.
• Add the 3 teaspoons allspice, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 3 1/2 teaspoons salt, 3/4 teaspoon black pepper, along with the 3 cups frozen peas and carrots. Stir to combine and continue to cook for 5-7 minutes until the mixture looks dry.
• Wash the 3 cups white basmati rice several times until the water runs clear and drain it well. Add the rice to the pot along with the 4 1/2 cups water. Mix gently to combine.
• Turn the heat to medium high and allow the mixture to start bubbling – this should take only a few minutes. As soon as it starts to bubble, cover immediately and decrease the heat to low. Leave the rice to cook undisturbed for 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, work on the garnish. Toast the 1/2 cup slivered almonds in a pan with 1/2 tablespoon of oil until golden brown. Once they're done, add the 1/4 cup raisins in there to warm them through. Chop the 1/4 cup parsley if using.
• After 20 minutes, turn off the heat and leave the pot covered for a further 10 minutes. Open the pot and fluff the rice with a fork then serve with the garnish on top.

Notes

• Recipe makes a big batch and you can halve it if required
• Measurements are exact for white basmati rice. You can try other types of rice such as brown rice but must use more water and double the cooking time
• It’s important that once you cover the rice and set the heat to low, you don’t uncover it for 20 minutes! The steam needs to stay inside the pot to properly cook the rice

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 411kcal, Carbohydrates: 58g, Protein: 21g, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 0.3g, Cholesterol: 40mg, Sodium: 1066mg, Potassium: 477mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 4420IU, Vitamin C: 7mg, Calcium: 72mg, Iron: 3mg

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