Jewelled rice pilaf – for Easter!

Named arsenic specified for the sparkling colours, this is simply a striking atom pilaf that is made for festive occasions – similar Easter! It’s a agleam yellowish Persian saffron atom that’s flavoured with spices and mixed with a jumble of effect and nuts. Stunner to look astatine – and eat!

Jewelled atom pilaf

There are galore atom dishes connected this website, but this is the crown jewel of them all. Just LOOK astatine that colour! And the flavour – WOW. It’s a fruit-nut pilaf delicately perfumed with accepted Persian spices – cumin, fennel, cinnamon, each spice and cardamom – with that unmistakable, intoxicating scent and agleam yellowish colour that you lone get from the world’s astir coveted spice: saffron.

While this Persian /Middle Eastern atom is flavoured capable to marque you privation to devour it consecutive retired of the pot, the flavour is inactive mild capable truthful it’s suitable to service alongside bold flavoured mains. Think – Persian Lamb Shanks, Chicken oregon Lamb Shawarma, lamb koftas, chicken oregon vegetable tagine. For more, see here for each Middle Eastern recipes. Also, Mediterranean food volition brace beautifully and I surely wouldn’t hesitate to service this alongside a roast chickenhearted oregon a roast lamb.

And finally, a caller 1 connected connection – fish koftas. Coming this Wednesday, created particularly to service connected this pilaf!

Ingredients successful Jewelled Rice Pilaf

Let’s worldly with the fun ingredients successful this pilaf: the add-ins and flavourings.

Add-ins and flavourings

• Saffron – This is an exotic spice utilized successful Middle Easter / Persian cooking. It’s celebrated for being the world’s astir costly spice, reflecting the labour intensive production. There’s 3 tiny strands successful each angiosperm which blooms for lone 1 week each year!

  Saffron makes thing it touches a agleam vibrant yellowish with a subtle perfume of earthy flavour dissimilar thing different spice.

  Find it successful ample market stores (here successful Australia), Middle Eastern/Persian stores and online.

  Better worth substitutes – I freely usage turmeric successful spot of saffron, for a akin yellowish colour albeit it doesn’t person the aforesaid flavour. Imitation saffron pulverization volition supply the colour but doesn’t supply flavour. To beryllium honest, there’s plentifulness of different flavour successful this pilaf from the spices, truthful it’s really good to usage imitation.

• Spices – Cumin and fennel seeds, cardamom, each spice and a cinnamon stick. This is simply a operation of spices that reflects the Persian / Middle Eastern roots of this pilaf.

  Note: I take to usage cumin and fennel seeds and a cinnamon instrumentality alternatively than pulverization due to the fact that you extremity up with a much vibrant yellowish rice. If you usage pulverization past the atom ends up a somewhat brownish colour truthful erstwhile you adhd the saffron, it’s a somewhat much muddied yellowish colour.

• Bay leaves – Aromatic added to navigator the rice.

• Lemon – We usage the zest only, for a perfume of citrus flavour. It adds that small interaction of extra-something.

• Fruit and nuts – I usage almonds, pistachios, apricots, aureate raisins and cranberries. This is simply a operation that I deliberation provides colour (green from pistachios, orangish apricots, yellowish alternatively than achromatic raisins) arsenic good arsenic a bully flavour combination.

  Other – You tin truly marque this pilaf your own! Sultanas, raisins, figs, peach, cherries, mangoes, pineapple each would enactment here. For nuts, I’d suggest walnuts, cashews, macadamias and non-nuts similar pepita. Peanuts would beryllium a small retired of place, I think.

Saffron infused h2o makes the atom yellow

Fluffy atom tumbling out!

The atom part

No little important but let’s look it, not arsenic breathtaking arsenic each the add-ins. 😊

• Basmati rice – this is the accepted atom for pilafs. The atom grains are distinctively agelong with a perfume of flavour.

  Other atom that volition work – agelong atom and jasmine rice. Medium atom grain volition besides enactment though the atom volition beryllium a interaction stickier (because that’s however the atom is).

  Please bash not use: wild rice, risotto, paella rice, brownish atom oregon faux atom (quinoa, cauliflower rice etc).

• Ghee is simply a benignant of clarified food that has a much concentrated food flavour due to the fact that it’s 100% fat. Stored successful pantry not successful fridge. Make your own oregon conscionable usage butter.

• Onion and garlic – Flavour basal aromatics.

• Stock alternatively than water, for amended flavour. I usage rootlike banal to support this vegetarian but chickenhearted banal works large too.

How to marque Jewelled Rice Pilaf

Saffron water

1. Grind the saffron threads into a powder. This extracts much flavour and colour retired of it – we privation to bash this for the world’s astir expect spice!!! If you don’t person a mortar and pestle that’s ok, conscionable soak the strands, it volition inactive work.

2. Soak – Add a spot of boiling h2o and mix. Set speech to steep portion the atom cooks, and the colour volition intensify.

Make pilaf

It’s nary harder than making plain achromatic rice, but we commencement with sautéed aromatics that adds truthful overmuch flavour to the extremity result!

3. Sauté the fennel and cumin seeds first. This brings retired their flavour. Then navigator the bulb and ail for 5 minutes until the bulb is translucent. And lastly, adhd the cinnamon stick, cardamom and each spice pulverization and disturbance for 30 seconds – again, to bring retired their flavour.

4. Coat atom – Add the atom and springiness it a bully disturbance to overgarment the atom grains successful each those tasty flavours.

5. Cooking liquid – Add the stock, bay leaves, lemon, salt, effect and nuts.

6. Steam atom – Stir, bring to a simmer, past enactment the lid on. Reduce stove to debased – but it should inactive beryllium simmering mildly astir edges different the atom is conscionable sitting there, getting bloated successful blistery water. Cook for 14 minutes oregon until the liquid is each absorbed. Do not peek oregon disturbance portion it’s cooking!

Rest

7. Rest – Remove the saucepan from the stove with the lid inactive connected and acceptable speech for 10 minutes. During this resting stage, the atom grains volition decorativeness cooking and the residual h2o connected the aboveground of each atom gets absorbed, leaving you with fluffy atom alternatively than gluey mushy rice.

8. Cooked rice – This is what it looks similar erstwhile you region the lid. The atom aboveground volition beryllium level and the colour is simply a airy brown. We volition fluff and colour it up successful the adjacent steps!

Sparkling jewels!

The champion portion – sparkle it up!

9. Saffron water – Pour implicit fractional the saffron water.

10. Gently fluff the atom utilizing a rubber spatula. Be precise gentle! The agelong atom basmati atom strands are fragile, we don’t privation to interruption them.

11. Repeat – Once the atom is fluffed and is mostly yellowish (some achromatic spots inactive expected astatine this stage), determination successful the remaining saffron h2o positive the melted ghee oregon butter. Then mildly flip again until the atom is each yellow.

12. Sparkling jewels! Tumble the atom onto a serving platter past sprinkle with pomegranate seeds, pistachios and coriander. Then serve!

Fish koftas coming Wednesday!

As mentioned earlier, the Jewelled Rice Pilaf is pictured successful station with food koftas. Fish mixed with spices past skewered and cookware fried, this is simply a caller look created particularly to remainder atop of a large heap of this fluffy saffron rice, a magnificent Easter Friday-worthy meat-free main. You’ve ne'er had food similar it earlier – and it’s truthful easy!

I truly anticipation immoderate of you springiness this a spell 1 day. Even conscionable seeing the colourful photos puts maine successful a bully temper and makes maine consciousness each festive!! – Nagi x

Watch however to marque it

Print

Jewelled atom pilaf

Recipe video above.

Excellent mode to wide retired effect and nighttime dregs successful a fabulous way.Good saffron is not cheap. So I've suggested a mates of overmuch amended worth alternatives which volition supply a akin colour.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Middle Eastern, Persian

Keyword jewelled rice, Rice Pilaf, Saffron Rice

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Resting 10 minutes

Servings 6

Author Nagi

Ingredients

Saffron water:

• 1/2 – 1 tsp saffron threads (125 – 250mg) (SUB: 1/4 tsp saffron pulverization OR 1/2 tsp tumeric powder) (Note 1)
• 2 tbsp boiling water

Rice pilaf:

• 2 tbsp (30g) ghee oregon butter (Note 2)
• 1/4 tsp fennel seeds
• 1/4 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 onion , finely diced
• 2 garlic cloves , minced
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1/8 tsp all spice
• 1/8 tsp cardamom powder
• 1 1/2 cups basmati rice (Note 3)
• 2 1/4 cups vegetable stock , debased sodium (or chicken)
• 3/4 tsp cooking/kosher salt
• 2 bay leaves (preferably fresh, other dried)
• 1/2 tsp lemon zest

Fruit & nuts (your choice, Note 4):

• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup dried apricots , chopped successful 1cm / 1/3″ pieces
• 1/4 cup golden raisins
• 1/4 cup pistachios , toasted (Note 5)
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds , toasted (Note 5)

Finishing:

• 2 tbsp (30g) ghee oregon butter, melted
• 1/2 pomegranate , seeds lone (Note 6)
• 2 tbsp coriander/cilantro leaves astir chopped
• 2 tbsp roughly chopped toasted pistachios (Note 5)

Cups – Metric

Instructions

• Soak saffron – Grind saffron into a pulverization successful a mortar and pestle (Note 1). Mix successful boiling h2o past acceptable speech portion the atom is cooking.
• Sauté – Melt ghee oregon food successful ample saucepan implicit mean precocious heat. Add fennel and cumin, past disturbance for 30 seconds. Add bulb and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes. Add cinnamon, cardamom and each spice, past disturbance for 30 seconds. Add atom and disturbance for 1 infinitesimal to overgarment successful the beauteous flavour.
• Cook atom – Add the stock, bay leaves, lemon, salt, effect and nuts. Stir, bring to a simmer, past enactment lid on. Reduce stove to debased (should inactive beryllium simmering mildly astir edges), and navigator for 14 minutes. Do not peek oregon stir!
• Rest – Quickly cheque to guarantee liquid is absorbed. Remove from the stove (lid inactive on) and permission for 10 minutes.
• Yellow! Pour implicit fractional the saffron h2o past precise mildly fluff the atom utilizing a rubber spatula (so you don’t interruption the agelong atom strands). Once mostly mixed through, adhd remaining saffron h2o and ghee. Gently flip until the atom is each yellow.
• Serve – Tumble onto serving platter. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds, coriander, pistachios and service with food koftas.

Notes

1. Saffron – spice utilized successful Persian and Middle Eastern cooking. Fine reddish threads, stains things a vibrant agleam yellowish with a chiseled albeit subtle earthy flavour. One of the astir precious spices successful the full satellite truthful it’s not cheap. 1/2 tsp (125mg) is capable though atom colour not rather arsenic vibrant. I usage 1 tsp erstwhile I’m retired to impressment (250 mg) – pictured successful station – a full modular battalion successful Aust supermarkets (Master Foods).

GRINDING gets much flavour and colour from the strands. But you tin skip this.

ECONOMICAL ALTERNATIVES: I sometimes usage turmeric which besides makes the atom yellowish though somewhat little vibrant, and a somewhat antithetic atom flavour, but is the champion alternate I find. Imitation crushed saffron volition supply the aforesaid vibrant yellowish colour arsenic pictured but doesn’t person the flavour.

2. Ghee is simply a benignant of clarified food that has a much concentrated food flavour due to the fact that it’s 100% fat. Stored successful pantry not successful fridge. Make your own oregon conscionable usage butter.

3. Rice – basmati is the accepted atom for pilafs though agelong atom oregon jasmine atom would besides enactment here. Recipe volition besides enactment with mean atom grain though the atom volition beryllium a interaction stickier (because that’s what the atom is). Please bash not use: chaotic rice, risotto, paella rice, brownish atom oregon faux atom (quinoa, cauliflower atom etc).

4. Fruit and nuts – usage immoderate you privation though I urge chopping ample ones. Sultanas, raisins, figs, peach, cherries, mangoes, pineapple each would enactment here. For nuts, I’d suggest walnuts, cashews, macadamias and non-nuts similar pepita. Peanuts would beryllium a small retired of place, I think.

5. Toasting nuts – vigor up a tiny skillet implicit mean precocious vigor (no oil). Add the nuts and flip for a fewer minutes until they are airy aureate and you tin odor them. Don’t locomotion distant – they pain easily! Remove from skillet immediately, chill past use.

6. Pomegranate – See video present for however I region the seeds from pomegranates (quickly and easily!).

Life of Dozer

Wondering however galore shots helium has to endure done earlier helium tin motorboat himself onto those Easter eggs (doggy affable ones, of course!).

The station Jewelled atom pilaf – for Easter! appeared archetypal connected RecipeTin Eats.