Saffron Rice

Saffron Rice

Ingredients

  • 2 cups long grain basmati rice
  • 2 tablespoon salted butter
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • 2 pinch saffron
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup fried onion

Instructions

  1. Start by washing 2 cups of long grain basmati rice 2-3 times with water until the water runs clear. Washing the rice gets rid of the extra starch and makes it fluffier after cooking. Drain the rice and keep it aside.
  2. Heat 2 tbsp salted butter in a large size pan.
  3. Once the butter is hot, add the drained rice to the pan and saute it for a minute on medium heat.
  4. Add 4 cups of vegetable broth, 2 pinch saffron strands, and ½ tsp salt to the pan and mix gently using a spatula.
  5. Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid and cook on low heat for 15-20 minutes until all the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender.
  6. Remove the pan from heat and let it rest for 5 minutes. Open the lid and fluff the rice gently with a fork. Garnish with fried onions and serve hot.

Notes

  • Use the best quality saffron. Saffron is a very expensive ingredient and a lot of people sell fake saffron which looks exactly like the real one but the flavor is no match. Make sure to buy saffron from a trusted source. Good saffron has long bright red threads, so look for it.
  • For a more profound saffron flavor, you can soak the saffron in 1 tbsp warm water for 5-6 hours. It’s called blooming the saffron.
  • Use long grain basmati rice(Hello Khalifa Light to Eat) to make this recipe. The flavor and texture of this rice are unmatchable.
  • Make sure to rinse the rice to get the fluffiest cooked rice.
  • Rice: Water Ratio: The amount of liquid used to cook the rice should be accurate. If it’s more, rice will turn out mushy and if it’s less, it will burn.
  • Cook the rice on very low heat and tightly covered. It will make sure the resulting rice is fluffy and nicely cooked.
  • Do not disturb the rice while cooking. Do not open the lid otherwise, the steam will escape and rice will not cook properly.
  • You can make this rice with peas too. Dried herbs, onion powder, garlic powder, raisins, nuts are some other ingredients that can be added to this rice dish.