Labaniyeh bil Ruz (Garlicky Yogurt and Rice Porridge)

Labaniyeh bil ruz is a tangy, garlicky porridge of yogurt and rice that falls somewhere between risotto and congee. It’s lighter on the stomach and easier to prepare than risotto, and you don’t have to worry about maintaining that distinctive al dente bite. Compared to congee, the rice grains in labaniyeh bil ruz retain some of their texture, and the dish has a sharper, more pronounced flavor profile. 

Traditionally, Arab yogurts were made in springtime from sheep’s milk and preserved through salting or drying, resulting in either jameed (blocks of dried salted yogurt) or kishek (a powder made of yogurt mixed with bulgur, left out to dry then ground). This process made yogurt a very sour and salty ingredient with a distinct fermented flavor. While both those ingredients are still used today to make traditional dishes like mansaf, the ready availability of fresh yogurt year round, and its more mild flavor, mean people will more often than not opt for the easier-to-use fresh variety for day-to-day meals like this one.

When fresh yogurt is cooked and the whey evaporates, its acidity becomes more pronounced. This plays nicely with fried garlic, which is added off-heat for a sauce that's extremely pungent and creamy. It's a combination is reminiscent of those traditional fermented flavors, but definitely more palatable for the uninitiated. 

Although this dish is most often made with leftover rice or leftover cooked yogurt sauce, it’s so simple that I’ve made it countless times from scratch. The rice most often used in Arab countries is Egyptian, which is a medium grain rice closest to Calrose here in the US. However, it would be perfectly acceptable to make it with any other medium (such as jasmine) or short grain rice. The resulting flavor would be almost identical, but you might need to adjust water content slightly to get the right consistency. Basmati rice is not ideal for this dish, though, as its grain is quite thin compared to other varieties and it would therefore not absorb as much flavor.

Given its light color and creamy texture, you might expect something heavy or greasy to hit your palate. But because it's made with yogurt, not cream, it's light on the stomach. I like to to finish it with crushed dried mint and a sprinkle of nuts for some contrasting crunch. I most often use fried pine nuts, but slivered almonds would work just as well. In the summer, I like to serve it with a Gazan relish known as dagga, which is essentially a salsa of very finely chopped tomatoes and green chilies dressed with lemon, olive oil, salt, and crushed dill seeds.