Kris Jenner’s Armenian Rice Pilaf
Leading Lady Spotlight: There’s maybe no other celebrity I adore more than Kris Jenner. I think she’s so funny, smart, cool, and iconic. I love that she turned her life into her life’s work, raising her babies, helping each of them build careers, and somehow managing to do it all, really after the age of 50. IMHO, “Momager” might just be the coolest gig on the planet.
I would love nothing more than to sip a dirty martini (or two… or three) with her one day and giggle about motherhood woes, hear her stories, and soak up her wisdom. Once a year, I reread her autobiography. In it, she talks about her famous rice pilaf dish and how Khloé once stole her pilaf pan. It must’ve been a really great pan, or Kris really knows how to hold a grudge, because she even brought it up again this year on Khloé’s podcast, Khloé in Wonderland! Hilarious.
Kris published a cookbook, In the Kitchen with Kris, in 2014 (which is actually so wild to think about, considering it was only a decade ago and now two of her daughters are billionaires...) and explained the purpose behind it being to pass along family recipes to her kids, who had all moved out, but constantly called to ask, “Mom, how do I make that chicken again? What’s Nana’s pilaf recipe?” so they could enjoy them long after she was gone. Her recipes aren’t just food, they’re family history. And it’s really the heart of what I think is what makes Kris so special, she’s really intentional about her family, their traditions, and the legacy she wants to leave behind.
This Armenian-style pilaf, affectionately known as “Nana’s Pilaf” passed down from Robert Kardashian’s mother, Helen Kardashian is simple, family-friendly, and gives off the comfort of a hug from mom. In her house, Kris serves it with shish kebabs, roasted veggies, and warm, crusty pita. She said, at the time, North would come over one or two times a week just to devour it.
It’s this kind of legacy I hope my recipes become for my girls, too—dishes they’ll crave, cook, and one day share with their own families. I can only wish that one day my grand child will ask me to make my famous XYZ the way that Charlie asks Yaya to make her Sausage and Peppers and Granny to make her Yams.
So today’s recipe is a little homage to one of the greats: a mom, a mogul, and the matriarch who made Armenian Pilaf iconic. Enjoy this one, friends. And for best results, serve with dirty martinis. 🍸
What You’ll Need
1/2 cup slivered almonds
3 tbsp unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups vermicelli (or fine egg noodles)
2 cups long-grain rice
3 1/2 cups chicken broth (you will need it to be so hot it’s steaming for this recipe)
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup seedless raisins
Salt and pepper, to taste
How to Make
First, let’s get our almonds ready
In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast the slivered almonds, stirring frequently, until golden and fragrant, about 2–3 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
Next, we’ll toast our vermicelli and rice.
Heat the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add vermicelli, stirring constantly to coat them in butter, and toasting until a light golden brown. Add the rice stirring to coat and mix with the browned vermicelli. Toast everything together for 1–2 minutes, stirring, until the rice turns chalky white.
Now, we’re going to boil the vermicelli and rice.
Pour in hot broth. Add salt and pepper and stir. Bring to a boil over high heat, then cover tightly. Reduce to simmer and the rice has absorbed the liquid, ~15-20 minutes.
After, we’ll add raisins and nuts.
Remove from heat. Add the toasted almonds and raisins (do not stir them in yet) and cover the saucepan again. Let stand for 5 minutes.
Finally, you’re ready to eat!
Fluff with a fork, and serve!
Enjoy!
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