Rice in Greek Cooking: History and Uses

Rice in Greek cooking plays two quite distinct roles that rarely overlap: it goes in raw as a stuffing, absorbing flavour as it swells inside a vegetable or vine leaf during cooking, and it is simmered loose into rice-and-vegetable dishes closer to a wet pilaf than a dry, separate-grained rice dish.

Gemista, stuffed tomatoes and peppers, and dolmades and koupepia, stuffed vine leaves, all use the first method: raw medium grain rice mixed into a filling, packed in tight, and left to cook through and swell inside its vegetable or leaf casing rather than being pre-cooked. Overfilling is the most common mistake, since the rice needs room to expand as it absorbs liquid.

Spanakorizo and prasorizo, spinach and leek rice respectively, use the second approach, rice simmered directly in a dilled, vegetable-heavy liquid until tender, deliberately looser and wetter than a standard pilaf, closer to a thick soup than dry rice. Medium grain rice is the standard choice across both methods, since it releases enough starch to thicken a dish naturally without turning gluey.

Photo: Short-grain rice (japonica).jpg by ch1310, CC0.

Recipes with rice

25 recipes on the site using it.

A bowl of pale golden avgolemono soup with shredded chicken, rice and a lemon wedge

Greek SoupsGreek Avgolemono Soup Κοτόσουπα αυγολέμονο · 1h 30m · serves 6

A tray of baked stuffed tomatoes and peppers with browned tops and potato wedges between them

Greek Main CoursesGemista Γεμιστά · 2h 10m · serves 6

Rolled stuffed vine leaves arranged in a dish with lemon wedges and olive oil

Greek Meze and AppetisersDolmades Ντολμάδες · 1h 50m · serves 8

Cypriot koupepia stuffed vine leaves arranged on a plate with lemon

Greek Main CoursesKoupepia Κουπέπια · 1h 50m · serves 6

Greek Main CoursesTavas Ταβάς · 2h 55m · serves 6

A pot of Greek spanakorizo spinach and rice, deep green and glossy

Greek Main CoursesSpanakorizo Σπανακόρυζο · 45m · serves 4

A pot of Greek prasorizo leek and rice, pale and glossy with olive oil

Greek Main CoursesPrasorizo Πρασόρυζο · 50m · serves 4

Greek Main CoursesGamopilafo Γαμοπίλαφο · 2h 20m · serves 8

Bars of Corfu mandolato almond nougat studded with toasted almonds

Greek DessertsMandolato Μαντολάτο · 55m · serves 16

A bowl of Greek giouvarlakia meatball soup in avgolemono sauce

Greek SoupsGiouvarlakia Γιουβαρλάκια · 1h 15m · serves 6

Greek Main CoursesMarouli Dolmades Ντολμάδες με μαρούλι · 1h 25m · serves 6

Kefalonia kreatopita meat pie in golden phyllo, sliced

Greek Breads and PiesKefalonitiki Kreatopita Κεφαλονίτικη κρεατόπιτα · 2h · serves 8

A bowl of Greek kotosoupa avgolemono chicken and rice soup

Greek SoupsKotosoupa Avgolemono Κοτόσουπα αυγολέμονο · 1h 50m · serves 6

A pot of Greek fakorizo lentils and rice

Greek Main CoursesFakorizo Φακόρυζο · 50m · serves 4

Vegan Greek melitzanes gemistes stuffed aubergine halves

Greek Main CoursesMelitzanes Gemistes Μελιτζάνες γεμιστές · 1h 40m · serves 6

A slice of Greek kreatopita meat pie showing layered phyllo and filling

Greek Breads and PiesKreatopita Κρεατόπιτα · 1h 50m · serves 8

Macedonian giaprakia stuffed cabbage rolls with avgolemono sauce

Greek Main CoursesGiaprakia Thessalonikis Γιαπράκια Θεσσαλονίκης · 2h · serves 6

A whole roasted Greek galopoula turkey stuffed with chestnut rice filling

Greek Main CoursesGalopoula Gemisti me Kastana Γαλοπούλα γεμιστή με κάστανα · 5h · serves 12

Greek kolokithoanthoi gemisti stuffed courgette flowers

Greek Meze and AppetisersKolokithoanthoi Gemisti Κολοκυθοανθοί γεμιστοί · 1h 10m · serves 6

Greek Side DishesRizi Pilafi Ρύζι πιλάφι · 25m · serves 4

Aubergine-wrapped Greek dolmades in tomato sauce

Greek Main CoursesMelitzanes Ntolmades Ντολμάδες με μελιτζάνα · 1h 30m · serves 6

A bowl of Greek rizogalo rice pudding dusted with cinnamon

Greek DessertsRizogalo Ρυζόγαλο · 50m · serves 6

Greek Main CoursesBourani me Kotopoulo Μπουράνι με κοτόπουλο · 1h 15m · serves 4

Greek SoupsMelitzanosoupa Μελιτζανόσουπα · 1h 5m · serves 4

A dish of Greek kalamari gemisto stuffed squid in tomato sauce

Greek Main CoursesKalamari Gemisto Καλαμάρι γεμιστό · 1h 20m · serves 4

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