Persian Jeweled Rice
Photo by Adam Milliron. Styling by Ana Kelly.
Chef Palak Patel shares recipes from the springtime festivals of Iran, Uzbekistan and India so that we can welcome spring with bold flavors and delicious dishes. Her recipe for Persian Jeweled Rice pairs beautifully with her Lamb Shank and Kidney Bean Stew. A side dish of Mint and Cilantro Chutney might be nice, too!
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 cups aged basmati rice
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup pistachios
Kosher salt
2 medium carrots, peeled, cut into matchstick-size pieces
2 tablespoons dried tart cherries
1/4 cup dried currants
1/4 cup Persian green raisins
¼ cup dried apricots, chopped
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads, crushed and soaked in ¼ cup hot water
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 large onion, thinly sliced
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°. Place almonds and pistachios on separate baking sheets and toast until golden brown, 5–8 minutes; let cool. Set nuts aside.
Using a fine-mesh sieve and rinse rice under cold water until water runs clear. Soak rice in cold water for 1 hour up to 24 hours. Drain through a fine-mesh sieve.
In a large pasta pot, add water and bring to a rolling boil, season with salt and gently add rice making sure to not break the grains. Cook rice stirring occasionally until grains have lengthened but are still firm. Drain and rinse under cold water. Spread rice in a thin layer on a baking sheet to cool.
Combine tart cherries, currants and green raisins in a small bowl and cover with hot water; let them soak for 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Place saffron in another small bowl and add 1/4 cup hot water; set aside.
Heat butter and 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion slices and carrot sticks, season with salt, and cook, stirring often, until soft and beginning to brown. Add spices and 1 tablespoon saffron mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant.
Reduce heat to low, add soaked cherries, currants raisins, and apricots and cook, stirring often. Stir in reserved nuts, season with kosher salt. Remove from heat and keep aside.
Heat remaining 3 tablespoons of oil in a large wide heavy pot over medium heat. Add half of rice, spreading evenly; add fruit and half of the nut mixture in a thin layer, then remaining rice, spreading evenly.
Using a spoon, create circular holes in the rice mixture for steam to escape. Drizzle remaining saffron mixture over rice. Place a clean kitchen towel over the pot, fit the lid over the pot. Be sure no steam can escape.
Cook on medium high heat there is steam, 5–8 minutes. Reduce heat to very low or move the pot to a smaller burner and cook without stirring until the rice is tender and the bottom layer of rice is browned, about 20 minutes.
Spoon rice into a serving plate and sprinkle with the remaining toasted nuts.
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