Steamed rice is not a common occurrence in the average Egyptian home. We like to coat our rice in butter or ghee before letting it drink up the liquid it cooks in. This way and if we cook it for the right amount of time, we can guarantee that each rice grain is an individual, with a personality of its own. It will grow to shine and shun its fellow sister grains when they come too close. Glistening in the light, rice in an Egyptian kitchen doesn’t smell of rice. It smells of butter.
Apart from buttered rice, we also enjoy adding Sha’reyya, or fried vermicelli to the pot, mixing it into the rice to get the best of both rice and pasta worlds. Vermicelli, always browned before cooking, is also cooked alone as a side dish. On occasion, dinner or “dessert dinners”, where we’ve already had a big meal for lunch (being the main meal of the day) and can allow ourselves or our kids a sweet treat for dinner, comprises of browned-in-butter vermicelli and sugar, sprinkled and mixed in. Some people add milk while cooking. I prefer the delicate crunch of some plain white caster sugar.
Here’s a recipe for the basic Egyptian sha’reyya. To sweeten, cook without salt and sprinkle with sugar in the last minute. 
Browned-in-butter Vermicelli
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
Description
Egyptian Sha’reyya is a comforting dish of browned-in-butter vermicelli, perfect for a cozy meal on cold nights.
Ingredients
- 500 grams (1 lb) of uncooked vermicelli
- 1 tablespoon of butter or ghee
- 2 cups water
- Salt to taste
- Sugar to taste (optional, for sweet version)
Instructions
- Break up your vermicelli into small equal bits.
- In a large pan, melt 1 tablespoon of butter or ghee over medium heat.
- Add the broken vermicelli to the pan and fry, stirring constantly, until it reaches a golden brown color.
- Once browned, add 2 cups of water and salt to taste.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer.
- Continue to cook until the water is almost completely absorbed, stirring occasionally.
- If making a sweet version, omit the salt and sprinkle sugar over the vermicelli in the last minute of cooking.
- Serve steaming hot.
Notes
For a sweet version, omit the salt and add sugar in the last minute of cooking. Some people also add milk while cooking for a creamier texture. Serve immediately for the best texture. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Cuisine: Egyptian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 220
- Sugar: 1
- Sodium: 150
- Fat: 6
- Carbohydrates: 40
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 5
- Cholesterol: 15
interesting way of preparing vermicelli, I have never tried something like this