4 Traditional Balkan Rice Dishes You Need To Try

• 16 Jun, 2023
• Posted By : Liridon

In this blog, you will discover delicious rice dishes from the Balkan region. They're full of rich flavors and reflect Balkan culture. Let's learn about these special rice creations and all the ingredients you can find in our European grocery store. Follow along to explore the wonders of Traditional Balkan rice dishes together!

1. Djuvec Rice

This is a delicious Balkan dish including a variety of ingredients that can be made as a layered casserole with tomatoes on top. It is a tasty one-pot dish with rice, vegetables, and seasonings. You often serve it with grilled meats. Furthermore, for an extra delicious touch, try using Levidia rice, available online from our website BalkanFresh. 

Moreover, it has an aromatic blend of seasonings. Plus, it is versatile enough to serve as a side alongside grilled meats, enhancing the overall dining experience.

2. Rice Pilaf

Balkan rice pilaf is a popular rice dish in the Balkan regions. You usually serve it with:

-chicken
- beef, or
-lamb. 

In addition to including meat, you can also enjoy it as a vegetarian meal. Moreover, the dish includes fluffy Levidia rice cooked in chicken or vegetable broth, which adds a savory and satisfying flavor. You mix the rice with sautéed onions and season with salt, pepper, garlic, and Vegeta.

3. Sarma

For Sarma, you need pickled cabbage leaves and ground meat, spices, and Levidia rice. Interestingly, the name "Sarma" comes from the Turkish word "Sarmak," which means to roll, as the dish involves rolling the ingredients in the leaves. In some parts of the Balkans, grape leaves are also used, and the broader family of dishes that includes Sarma is known as Dolma in the Middle East.

It's important to note that you shouldn’t confuse Sarma with Dolma, or stuffed peppers, even though the filling is quite similar. Plus, each dish has its own unique treatment and preparation.

4. Dolma

Dolma, similarly to sarma, is a dish you make by stuffing a mixture of rice, meat, and spices into bell peppers. Moreover, the process of filling the vegetables creates an impressive visual appeal and ensures that every bite is full of flavor.

Besides the bell peppers, there are more vegetables you can use. Additionally, as filling for various vegetables you combine a mixture of: 

- ground beef,
- onions,
-rice, and 
- spices.

These vegetables include zucchini, onions, tomatoes, peppers, and Swiss chard. Then, you bake them in tomato sauce.