Persian jeweled Rice
The Royal Rice! this what I think it should be called, this Persian/Iranian rice with its color and mixed dried fruits turned out like a jeweled plate that can be served to a king!
It could not be more beautiful than this, like a crown full of jewels in Persian cuisine. It is served usually in weddings and special occasions .
Its amazing color comes from the addition of Saffron water, its rich and distinguished flavor arise from the candied carrots and oranges peel,together with the sweetness of the red dried Barberries(Zershek) all with the mixed nuts and pomegranate seeds create a royal symphony of flavors!
A staple dish in the Iranian kitchen, that is a must try one specially for basmati rice lovers,like me :)
So, enough talking and let's get into action!
الوصفة باللغة العربيه اضغط هنا
Persian Jeweled Rice
Ingredients :
2 cups of Basmati rice washed and soaked in salted water for 15 minutes,then strained well .
1 large orange
1 large carrot
1/2 cup dried red barberries (Zershek)
1/2 cup blanched sliced fried almonds and toasted pistachios
1/4 cup fresh pomegranate seeds
3/4 Tablespoon salt or as desired
2 sticks cinnamon 1 tbsp cumin seeds 2 tbsp dried rosebuds 3 tbsp green cardamom pods
pinch of saffron dissolved in 1 glass of water
2 Tablespoons yoghurt
50gm melted butter+ 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
3 cups boiled water to cook the rice with .
Directions :
- Cut the rind of an orange in long strips. Try to leave out as much of the bitter white underlayer as possible, then peel a large carrot and continue to peel the flesh to obtain long, flat carrot strips.
- Cut the orange strips sideways into tiny sticks,or in diamond shape.
- Combine one cup sugar with one cup water, bring to a boil then add both orange rinds and carrot strips. Boil gently for 10 minutes, strain and reserve. This process partially candies the orange and carrot.
- To prepare the spice mix(called advieh), grind together 2 cinnamon sticks, cumin seeds, rose petals and cardamom pods. Remove the pods.
- Boil the rice in salted water until it softens but remains slightly crunchy, 9-12 minutes. Stir to ensure grains are fully separated, strain and reserve.
- Add melted butter in a large pan with vegetable oil, this is important as it will prevent the rice crust from sticking. Mix 4 tbsp of the partly boiled rice with 2 tbsp yoghurt and 4 drops of saffron water. Spread this mixture in a layer at the bottom. It will turn into a delicious golden crust, the hallmark of Persian rice dishes.
- Cover the rice-yoghurt layer with a layer of rice and add a fourth of the orange-carrot strips and some red dried barberries. Sprinkle some advieh (the spice mix) on top, and add another layer of rice and continue like before until you run out of ingredients.
- Add a generous amount of advieh on top,and make some tinny holes in the rice pour some of Saffron-water into these holes.This will give a colorful-rice result.
- Add half a cup of water, Cover tightly, using a towel wrapped all around the top of the pot to prevent any leakage then cover with the pan lid . Cook over very low heat for about 30 minutes or until rice is completely cooked.
- Serve hot rice on a plate and garnish with nuts and some pomegranate seeds .
Bon Appétit :) * Recipe adabted from FXcuisine.com
