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5 from 1 vote

Faith's Saffron Rice

A recipe from Faith Gorsky's cookbook, An Edible Mosaic, this basmati rice and saffron dish is approachable, and flavorful. Recipe courtesy of An Edible Mosaic: Middle Eastern Fare with Extraordinary Flair by Faith Gorsky (Tuttle Publishing; Nov. 2012); reprinted with permission.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time55 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Servings: 6
Author: Faith Gorsky

Ingredients

  • cups 325 g basmati rice, rinsed
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons pine nuts
  • 1 onion finely diced
  • 4 tablespoons sultanas golden raisins
  • 3 cups 425 ml boiling water
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon saffron threads or ½ teaspoon turmeric

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 medium, thick-bottomed lidded saucepan 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 30-40 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.
  • OPTIONAL Add two pods of cardamom, two whole cloves, and one 2-inch (5 cm) piece of cinnamon stick at the same time that you add the rice.
  • Note: The original recipe called for cooking 10 minutes before turning stove off. I needed to cook for 20 minutes as I used basmati brown rice.