Bariis (Somali-Style Rice)

Recipe from Ayaan and Idyl Mohallim

Adapted by Tejal Rao

Updated March 19, 2024

Bariis (Somali-Style Rice)
Lisa Nicklin for The New York Times
Total Time
1 hour
Rating
4(165)
Notes
Read community notes

Somali-style rice, when prepared for festive occasions, can be a satisfying meal on its own: The rice is cooked in a rich stock and often jeweled with pieces of meat and vegetables. This version of the dish comes from Ayaan and Idyl Mohallim, twin sisters who make their own xawaash, an aromatic spice mixture that is layered with fenugreek and turmeric. The finished rice is also generously seasoned with saffron, as well as softened peppers and raisins. At Thanksgiving, the rice is a versatile side with roast turkey and vegetables, and the day after, it's a great base for leftovers. You could easily use a vegetable stock in place of a meat stock for a vegetarian version, and add more vegetables to the topping. The Mohallim sisters, on occasion, add blanched green beans to the mix. —Tejal Rao

Featured in: The American Thanksgiving

Learn: How to Make Rice

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Ingredients

Yield:12 to 16 servings

    For the Rice

    • 4cups Basmati rice
    • ½cup olive oil
    • 1large yellow onion, chopped
    • 3cloves garlic, minced
    • 2cinnamon sticks
    • 5whole green cardamom pods
    • 10whole cloves
    • 2teaspoons xawaash spice mix (see below)
    • 8cups chicken stock
    • 1teaspoon saffron threads, finely chopped
    • 1cup raisins
    • Salt

    For the Xawaash (somali Spice Mix)

    • 1tablespoon cumin seeds
    • 1tablespoon coriander seeds
    • 2teaspoons dried whole sage
    • 1teaspoon black peppercorns
    • 1teaspoon fenugreek seeds
    • 1teaspoon ground turmeric
    • 1¼teaspoons ground ginger
    • 8green cardamom pods
    • 10whole cloves
    • ¼teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
    • ⅓cinnamon stick

    For the Topping

    • 2tablespoons olive oil
    • 1red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
    • ¼cup raisins
    • 1red bell pepper, cored and thinly sliced
    • Salt
Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Soak rice in cold water 30 to 45 minutes, then drain.

  2. Step 2

    Meanwhile, prepare the xawaash: Combine all the spices in a spice grinder and finely grind. Set aside.

  3. Step 3

    Prepare the topping: Heat olive oil in a wide, deep pot over medium-high heat and add the onions, stirring occasionally until translucent. Add raisins and allow to soften, about 2 minutes, then add red bell pepper and cook until softened, about 5 to 7 minutes. Season with salt and set aside on a paper towel.

  4. Step 4

    In the same pot, make the rice: Heat ½ cup oil. Add onions and sauté, stirring frequently, until softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Add garlic, cinnamon sticks, cardamom, cloves and xawaash and cook, stirring, 1 minute.

  5. Step 5

    Stir in stock and rice. Bring to boil, then cover and cook on low heat 20 minutes. Stir in saffron and raisins and season to taste with salt. Cover, turn off heat and steam for 5 more minutes. Transfer to a serving platter, using a large spoon to pile rice in a heap onto a platter. Sprinkle topping over rice and serve.

Ratings

4 out of 5
165 user ratings
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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

Cypridopsis

For Xawaash, do I grind the whole green cardamon pods or just the seeds inside?

db3819

generally it's just the seeds you want, not the shells.

This is the best rice.

Tastes kind of Moroccan. Goes with everything. Spicy sweet pungent. We love love love it.

Iris

I tried this recipe on Thanksgiving day and it turned out a big blob. I had to throw it away. My take on this misfortune was the soaking of the rice. I will try this recipe again but will skip the soaking.

Mikey Queso

It would be pronounced " ha-WASH "

Jan Priddy

The onion, raisin, and red pepper ARE the topping—they are sautéed in oil, then that onion/raisin/pepper mix is set aside and that same oil in the same pot is used to sauté the spice mix and then cook the rice. Same pot, same oil, for steps 3-5. It's easy to miss something while trying to manage a new recipe—so I always read an entire recipe before beginning to cook it.

hermsoven

I've found my favorite rice dish. Excellent. Great with lamb.

Wayne

Does anyone know for sure how to pronounce "Xawaash?" I have a feeling this will be a favorite rice recipe and if guests ask what's in it, I don't want to make a fool of myself!

Gilberto

I would suggest adding the saffron at the beginning so it cooks withs the rice, not after the rice is cooked.

Susan

Fantastic. I made this plant-based so omitted the oil, salt, and chicken broth. (used water instead of broth). I also cut the recipe in half and it still made a lot. :)

robin

This is literally the best rice I've ever eaten - no exaggeration. It's soft, fluffy, warm, delicately and perfectly spiced. If you made the spice blend before hand, it'd be a quick dish. I made mine vegan by replacing chicken broth with vegetable broth.

I will make this again, hopefully a thousand times.

Klkruger

This is delicious. I made half the amount (which is plenty). Soaking the rice first (common in many cuisines) makes the rice cook more evenly and gently. When done, place a tea towel or several thicknesses of paper towel across the pot and recover. This will absorb excess moisture.

This recipe is a winner.

O

The letter X in Somali is closest to the letter H in English. You can just pronounce it Hawaash.

Barbara Berry

Hoe much ground fenugreek can I substitute for the seeds?

MaryAlecia

Grind the cardamom, pods and all.

Diana

I cooked this today, since I had all the spices at hand. This will go in my rotation for a holiday dish. I served it with Cuban pernil (leftovers) from yesterday and it was absolutely divine.

Mariah

Tasty and the recipe makes A LOT of rice. A crowd pleaser.

Abdul

Everything is good but you are missing one ingredient that will take it to another level. Cumin seeds. Add them with the Hawaash.

Nimo

Thank you so much

Gale

This is an amazing recipe that goes with everything, especially Hawa Hassan's Digaag Qumbe from Bon Appetit. What I also love about the recipe is that it divides well--I quartered the recipe and it came out great.

Amy

I make this rice to feed a crowd. It works in winter or summer and everything in between. It’s just the right amount of spice and flavor to have a personality without overwhelming the other dishes. Since mix makes enough for three batches.

Alice

After tasting a rice dish made by an Ethiopian woman who worked for my mother, I learned from her that she did not measure anything, just used her memory from cooking with her grandmother. I kept looking on the New York Times recipe list hoping for hints until this popped up. It sounded and looked right, so I tried it. Big success. I have been cooking it ever since and always get asked for the recipe. The only changes I made are doubling the amount of topping. It's SO good.

Nasteha816

You can find already prepared xawaash at any halal market. At least in Minnesota.

VivLew

This rice is delicious, and enjoyed by family and friends. The mixture of aromatic spices makes it tasty.

sallyzirker

Exc ellent!!, Made the whole amt. for 6 adults and they scarfed it up and took what few leftovers home! I used a cup less of chicken broth and would love more of the topping, so...

Elly van Laar

Wow, wow, wow. Delicious combi of spices. Gonna make it again, too yummy.

Diane

I wonder if anyone has made this in an instant pot

ian

Definitely no soaking. I had a risotto instead of rice. Very soggy. Good flavor though. Will try again. Ate it with local Somali sambusas.

Klkruger

This is delicious. I made half the amount (which is plenty). Soaking the rice first (common in many cuisines) makes the rice cook more evenly and gently. When done, place a tea towel or several thicknesses of paper towel across the pot and recover. This will absorb excess moisture.

This recipe is a winner.

MMSF

I made this with Jasmine rice without soaking. I also used all previously ground spices in the Xawaash. I added chard and leftover grilled pork and it was delicious.

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Credits

Adapted From Ayaan and Idyl Mohallim

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