Saffron Rice Recipe

Name: Saffron Rice Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4 to 6 Servings
Ingredients: 1½ cups (325 g) basmati rice, rinsed; 2 Tbsp olive oil; 3 Tbsp pine nuts; 1 small yellow onion; 4 Tbsp sultanas; 1¾ cups (425 ml) boiling water; ¾ tsp salt; ½ tsp saffron threads

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5.0

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Excellent

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Additional Time
15 mins
Total Time
35 mins
Servings
4 to 6 Servings
Calories
254 kcal
Course
Side Dish
Cuisine
Mediterranean

Saffron Rice Recipe

Winston Blankenship

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Recipe courtesy of An Edible Mosaic: Middle Eastern Fare with Extraordinary Flair by Faith Gorsky (Tuttle Publishing; Nov. 2012); reprinted with permission.

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Ingredients

Servings

1½ cups (325 g) basmati rice, rinsed
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp pine nuts
1 small yellow onion ﬁnely diced
4 Tbsp sultanas or golden raisins
1¾ cups (425 ml) boiling water or broth
¾ tsp salt
½ tsp saffron threads or ½ teaspoon turmeric

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Instructions

Soak the rice in tepid water for 10 minutes; drain. While the rice is soaking, put half a kettle of water on to boil.
Add the oil to a thick-bottomed pot (such as a Dutch oven) over medium heat. Add the pine nuts and cook until golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Transfer the pine nuts to a small bowl and set aside.
Add the onion to the saucepan you cooked the pine nuts in, and cook until softened and just starting to brown, about 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the rice and cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the sultanas, boiling water, salt, and saffron (or turmeric), turn the heat up to high, and bring it to a rolling boil.
Give the rice a stir, then cover the saucepan, turn the heat down to very low, and cook until tender, about 10 minutes (do not open the lid during this time). Turn the heat off and let the rice sit (covered) 15 minutes, then ﬂuff with a fork.
Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle the toasted pine nuts on top; serve.

Notes

OPTIONAL: Add two cardamom pods, two whole cloves, and one 2-inch (5 cm) piece of cinnamon stick at the same time that you add the rice.

Nutrition Information

Show Details

Serving 1Serving (of 6) Calories 254kcal (13%) Carbohydrates 41g (14%) Protein 4g (8%) Fat 9g (14%) Saturated Fat 1g (5%) Monounsaturated Fat 3g Sodium 296mg (12%) Sugar 1g (2%)