An Excellent and Tasty Urfa Rice Recipe just by itself or used within a platter dish as in Middle Eastern Meatball Platter. This Rice Dish can also be served with other meats, with or without a White Sauce that goes on top. This can be Tzatziki Sauce or a Seasoned Yogurt & Sour Cream Based Sauce.

About URFA Biber Pepper

Urfa Biber is a dried Turkish chili pepper. Cultivated in the Urfa region of Turkey. Often described as having a raisin-like taste, Sweet, slightly smoky flavor with elements of dried fruit. Made by salting and drying the chilies in the sun. Then wrapping them up at night so they sweat.

Urfa Biber is technically a red pepper, ripening to a dark maroon on the plant. This sweating process gives the chiles a rich, earthy flavor and smoky aroma. Urfa peppers are a 3-4 on a heat scale of 1-10. The heat develops slowly and has more bite than Aleppo crushed red peppers.

Orzo and Barley

Orzo is a short-grained pasta, shaped like a grain of Rice. It is added for Texture Contrast. Fried in butter and oil until a color change takes place. You could fry longer for a deep brown color if desired.

For additional texture contrast, we add Barely. This is one of the ways I incorporate Barley into my foods. Barley is a powerhouse of nutrients and works extremely well with Rice.

Normally with Rice, you add double the amount of water. I find this does not give the best texture. Using slightly less water gives you dryer, firmer and fluffy rice.

For this recipe. We stay at double the water due to the added Orzo and Barley, which absorb water as well. The amounts added are small but enough to offer contrast and texture and the resulting rice is much better.

Urfa Rice Supporting Flavors

Along with Onions & Garlic, we add a few spices for support. One Herb, Marjoram, for this recipe. Optionally exchange with Sage or Oregano. Additional spices for support. Finally, Ufra is added for its Fantastic Taste and slow building heat.