Saffron rice is a great side dish that came to us from the East. This spice is crocus pestles, collected on the first day of its flowering and then dried. Saffron is added to rice for a harmonious taste, to give the dish a delicate aroma and a beautiful yellow color. This spice is quite expensive, but very little is needed for cooking. And now - saffron rice recipes (photo attached).
Classical
What do you need:
- glasses of basmati rice (any white rice can be);
- four tablespoons of vegetable oil;
- hot pepper pod;
- clove of garlic;
- saffron;
- thyme.
Stages:
- Rinse the rice properly, changing the water until it becomes clear. Tilt in a colander to glass the water.
- Pour boiling water into the cup and soak the saffron in it.
- Cut hot peppers and remove seeds.
- Heat vegetable oil in a pan, toss pepper, thyme, garlic (unpeeled) there.
- Put rice in the aromatic oil and mix as quickly as possible so that the oil is absorbed into it.
- Pour saffron water into the rice.
- Boil one and a half minutes. Rice should absorb almost all of the liquid.
- Add another glass of boiling water.
- Wait for the water to boil and slightly cover the rice, reduce the flame to a minimum, cover, do not mix. Leave on for 5 minutes.
- Open the lid, mix the contents of the dishes with a wooden spatula. If the rice is dry, add a little water; it should be moist.
- Salt the dish, cover and cook for another five minutes.
Ready-made rice with saffron should be crumbly, but not dry and not cooked. It should not burn. If he is not ready yet, add a tablespoon of boiling water and hold on the stove under the lid for another three minutes. Rice cannot be digested.
With chicken
This is a traditional Azerbaijani pilaf - two-color rice with saffron and chicken. The peculiarity of the dish is rice and meat served separately from each other.
What do you need:
- saffron;
- a glass of white rice (basmati or jasmine);
- two glasses of water;
- three boneless chicken legs (or other parts of the carcass);
- vegetable oil;
- garlic;
- onions and carrots;
- salt.
Stages:
- Pieces of chicken put in a pan and fry in vegetable oil until golden brown.
- Chop the garlic and onions, grate the carrots.
- Put vegetables in a pan to chicken, add oil and salt, fry over high heat. When all the components are fried, pour in water, cover, reduce gas and simmer for about an hour.
- Rinse rice in several waters, put the cook in slightly salted water.
- Pour saffron with a small amount of boiling water and leave for ten minutes.
- When rice is cooked, pour saffron water into half the rice. The second half should remain white.
- Check for chicken readiness. Her meat should be soft and tender.
Serve crisp rice and chicken hot.
With dried fruit
Rice cooked according to this recipe with saffron turns out to be tasty, but, in addition, very useful.
What do you need:
- 70 g of raisins and prunes;
- a glass of rice;
- a tablespoon of vegetable oil;
- small onion;
- a pinch of saffron;
- a pinch of ground black pepper;
- salt.
Stages:
- In different bowls, soak raisins and prunes in boiling water for a quarter of an hour.
- Pour a pinch of saffron with a little water.
- Peel and finely chop the onion.
- Heat vegetable oil in a pan and fry the onions for one minute.
- Add rice to the pan and cook, stirring, for about two minutes, so that it is well saturated with oil.
- Pour boiling water into the rice so that it completely covers it. Cover and cook for about 12 minutes.
- Add saffron water to the rice, mix and continue cooking for another two minutes.
- Drain the dried fruits and put them in a pan. Add pepper, salt and mix.
Saffron rice is ready, it can be laid out on plates.
In a slow cooker
This is a fragrant diet dish and an excellent side dish for seafood, meat and fish. Cooking rice with saffron in a slow cooker is very simple.
What do you need:
- two multi-glasses of water (you can take meat broth);
- 10 g of zira;
- 40 ml of vegetable oil;
- multi-glass of long-grain rice;
- ground saffron;
- 1 carrot;
- 3 cloves of garlic;
- a pinch of turmeric;
- salt.
Stages:
- Peel the garlic and crush it with a knife.
- Pour vegetable oil into the multicooker bowl, add cumin, saffron, turmeric, garlic, salt and carrots, ground in a blender. Cook in frying mode for about 7 minutes.
- Put the washed rice in the multicooker bowl and mix everything. Cook for about 4 minutes in frying mode.
- Pour water or broth into the rice and install one of the programs: “Rice”, “Buckwheat” or “Pilaf”.
Put ready rice from the slow cooker. Serve with greens, fish or meat dishes.
With tuna
What do you need:
- 300 g long white rice;
- 1.5 l of broth (from beef or vegetables);
- a can of tuna in its own juice;
- two pinches of saffron;
- 50 g of parmesan;
- half of the onion;
- white pepper;
- olive oil;
- salt.
Stages:
- Rice should be washed in several waters (to clean water).
- Finely chop half the onion.
- Heat the broth so that it is hot.
- Pour olive oil into a pan and heat it. Put onions in a pan, bring to a transparent state.
- Put saffron and immediately pic. Fry with constant stirring over low heat for two minutes.
- Pour in the broth gradually (for about 15 minutes, simmer all this time, stirring constantly, until tender).
- Put tuna, grated parmesan, pepper and salt.
- Cook for another two minutes while stirring over low heat.
The original dish can be laid out on plates and served to the table.
Conclusion
Saffron rice is a classic oriental dish. The combination of white rice and a noble spice is a win-win option. Even if you cook it with a minimum of ingredients, it will be great as an independent dish.