Our saffron rice seems completely fluffy, flavorful, and fragrant, with a wonderful sunny yellow coloration. It’s straightforward to make and actually makes any meal particular.
I’m past excited to share this saffron rice recipe, which pulls influences from Persian and Mediterranean delicacies. I like it with absolutely anything (actually!). Assume kabobs, falafel, stews, grilled meats, grilled rooster, seafood, and extra!
Because of inventory, a little bit of butter, and onion, the rice seems extremely flavorful. Because of our saffron and a tiny little bit of turmeric, it has probably the most stunning shade of yellow. I can’t wait so that you can attempt it! For extra rice recipes, see our cilantro lime rice or this coconut rice!
Key Elements
- Rice: For the perfect, most fragrant outcomes, use long-grain basmati rice. Common long-grain rice will work, however basmati rice gives a lot extra taste and aroma. Pay attention to my suggestions in our recipe for rinsing the rice. It makes an enormous distinction and ensures that completely fluffy, non-sticky texture! I don’t advocate brown rice for this recipe.
- Saffron: You solely want a small quantity of saffron for this rice, which suggests you’ll be capable to make this recipe on repeat (one thing I’m betting it would be best to do when you attempt it!). Search for a great high quality saffron (cheaper choices don’t have the identical taste). It’s pricy, however value the additional cash. I used McCormick’s saffron within the pictures, and it labored very well. Nonetheless, for the very best quality and sometimes higher worth, I extremely advocate sourcing your saffron from respected on-line spice distributors (I really like World Spice and Burlap and Barrel) or ethnic markets moderately than typical grocery shops.
- Turmeric and Cardamom: A tiny little bit of turmeric enhances the sunny yellow coloration, whereas a gently crushed cardamom pod provides one other layer of heat, candy aromatics. By gently crushed, I imply that the surface of the pod cracks, however the seeds inside keep inside.
- Butter and Onion: You possibly can substitute olive oil when you’d favor it, however I really like the flavour of butter on this rice. You’ll soften it after which cook dinner a handful of chopped onions in it till they scent candy and switch mushy. The onions add taste and a bit sweetness, which balances the savory, fragrant taste of the saffron. That stated, I’ve made this recipe with out onions and nonetheless cherished it.
- Inventory: I sometimes use rooster inventory or vegetable broth. In our recipe, we recommend tasting your inventory earlier than including it to the rice to see when you want further salt. Relying in your inventory’s sodium content material, you may want little to no further salt. I purpose for the inventory to style as well-seasoned as a scrumptious soup.
The trick to completely flavorful saffron rice is infusing your inventory with saffron and spices earlier than cooking. Carry your inventory to a simmer, then pour it over gently crushed saffron threads, turmeric, and cardamom. This very important step additionally permits you to style and modify the inventory with salt.
I just like the inventory to style as well-seasoned as a soup, so give it a style and add extra salt till the flavors actually pop earlier than cooking it together with your rice.
Fluffy Saffron Rice
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PREP
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COOK
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TOTAL
This fragrant, sunshine-yellow saffron rice transforms any dinner into one thing actually particular. Saffron is pricy, however we’ll solely use a bit of it to make this beautiful rice. With influences of Persian delicacies and the Mediterranean, I like it on the aspect of kabobs, falafel, grilled meats, rooster, fish, curries, stews, and extra. It’s particularly scrumptious with this Greek marinated rooster, grilled swordfish, or this garlic caper baked salmon.
Makes 5 cups rice
You Will Want
1 ½ cups (280g) long-grain basmati rice
2 pinches of saffron threads, rounded 1/4 teaspoon
1/8 teaspoon floor turmeric
1 cardamon pod, gently crushed
2 ¼ cups (530ml) rooster inventory or vegetable broth
3 tablespoons (42g) butter
1/2 cup finely chopped onion, half a medium onion
Salt, as wanted
Instructions
1Rinse and drain the rice: Place the dry rice in a bowl and rinse beneath chilly working water, swirling it together with your hand. Drain the cloudy water. Repeat this rinsing and draining course of 4 to five instances or till the water you drain off is totally clear. Switch the rinsed rice right into a colander and permit it to empty fully whilst you put together the inventory.
2Put together the spices: In a separate glass, metallic, or ceramic bowl, add the turmeric and cardamom (turmeric and saffron can stain extra porous supplies, similar to plastic). Rub the saffron threads gently between your fingers, breaking them up barely into small bits (you’re searching for small items, not nice powder). Add the damaged saffron threads to the bowl with the opposite spices.
3Warmth and infuse the inventory: In a medium saucepan, carry the inventory to a simmer over medium warmth. When it’s simmering, pour the new inventory into the bowl with the turmeric, cardamom, and saffron. Style, after which add salt as wanted. You need the broth to style well-seasoned in order that your rice seems effectively. Season till the broth tastes like a well-seasoned soup.
4Cook dinner the onions: Utilizing the identical saucepan during which you heated the inventory, soften the butter over medium warmth. Add the onions to the melted butter and cook dinner, stirring sometimes, till they turn into mushy, translucent, and scent candy, about 5 minutes.
5Toast the rice: Add the drained rice to the saucepan, then toast it, stirring repeatedly to stop sticking, for 1 to 2 minutes. Pour within the saffron-infused inventory from the bowl, ensuring to scrape all of the spices from the bowl.
6Make saffron rice: Carry the inventory and rice combination to a boil, after which scale back the warmth to the bottom attainable setting (a really light simmer). Cowl the saucepan tightly with a lid and cook dinner, coated, for quarter-hour with out lifting the lid. After quarter-hour, take away the pan from the warmth, however don’t carry the lid. Let it stand (nonetheless coated) for a further 10 minutes. When the rice is finished, use a fork to fluff the rice gently. Serve.
Adam and Joanne’s Ideas
- Hen inventory: Relying on the inventory you select, chances are you’ll want further salt for seasoning the rice. I wish to style the saffron-infused broth and prefer it to style as effectively seasoned as soup. I normally add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of salt with low-sodium inventory, and sometimes depart salt out all collectively when utilizing seasoned inventory (like when constituted of a bouillon paste or dice).
- Vegetarian and vegan substitutions: Use vegetable broth and substitute the butter for plant-based butter or olive oil.
- If the rice remains to be barely laborious within the middle: If after testing the rice, it’s not tender within the center, put the lid again on the saucepan and proceed cooking over low warmth for a further 5 minutes.
- If the rice appears to be like too dry however will not be totally cooked: Scatter a tablespoon or two of additional water over the rice earlier than returning it to the warmth. Put the lid again on the saucepan and proceed cooking over low warmth for a further 5 minutes.
- Storing: Leftover saffron rice lasts in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 4 days or within the freezer for as much as 3 months (thaw in a single day within the fridge).
- Reheating: Reheat within the microwave or over low warmth in a pan with water or broth, stirring till heat.
- The vitamin information offered under are estimates.
Diet Per Serving
Serving Dimension
About 1/2 cup (recipe makes 5 cups)
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Energy
155
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Whole Fats
4.3g
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Saturated Fats
2.4g
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Ldl cholesterol
10.8mg
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Sodium
106.4mg
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Carbohydrate
24.9g
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Dietary Fiber
0.5g
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Whole Sugars
1.2g
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Protein
3.5g
We’re Adam and Joanne, a pair keen about cooking and sharing scrumptious, dependable recipes since 2009. Our purpose? To encourage you to get within the kitchen and confidently cook dinner recent and flavorful meals.Extra About Us
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