Iranian Rice Recipe
It's a little labor intensive, but totally worth it. This is probably the best rice I've ever had! Adapted from TheKitchn.com.
Ingredients
- 3 cups long-grain white basmati rice
- 2 T salt, divided
- 2 large oranges
- 1 c unsweetened dried cranberries
- 1/2 tsp ground tumeric
- 1/3 c granulated sugar, divided
- 1/4 cup orange blossom water, divided (I used 1/8 c fresh orange juice and 1/8 c water, if you don't have or can't find orange blossom water)
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1/2 c sliced raw almonds, toasted
- 1/2 c chopped raw pistachios, toasted
- 1/2 c golden or green raisins
- 2-3 large carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch long matchsticks (If you're knife skills aren't the best you can use the pre-shredded carrots you can find at most grocery stores)
- One 4-inch whole cinnamon stick
- 2 tsp ground cardamom
Directions
- Wash the rice about 5 times until the water runs clear.
- Cover with water and add 2 T of salt, let soak overnight.
- Drain and set aside.
- Set a small pot of water to boil.
- Use a vegetable peeler to take thick strips of rind off the oranges, including a little of the white pith.
- Slice these strips cross-wise into very small slivers.
- Drop the slivers into the boiling water and cook for about 1 minute.
- Drain and rinse, set aside.
- Mix the tumeric with a few pinches of sugar.
- Stir in 3 tablespoons of orange blossom water and set aside.
- Heat half the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add the almonds and the pistachios, and sauté for about a minute.
- Add the raisins to the pan and toss with the nuts.
- Empty the mixture into a bowl and set aside.
- Add 2 tablespoons of the saffron orange blossom water mixture, 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat in the same skillet.
- Add the carrots and orange peel and sauté for 2 minutes.
- Add the remaining sugar, the remaining saffron orange blossom water mixture, the cinnamon stick and the cardamom and sauté for 1 minute.
- Add 1 cup water, bring to a boil over high heat, then lower to medium heat and cook for about 10 minutes, or until the carrots lightly caramelize and the liquid has reduced to a syrup.
- Drain the carrots and orange peel, but reserve the syrup.
- In a large heavy-bottomed pot with a lid, bring ten cups of water to a boil.
- Add 2 tablespoons salt, and then add the rice to the pot with the remaining 1 tablespoon plain orange blossom water.
- Boil until the rice has risen to the surface and when bitten into it feels soft, 6 to 10 minutes.
- Drain the rice, rinse with cold water and place into a bowl.
- Mix the remaining saffron orange blossom water and the reserved carrot/orange syrup to the par-boiled rice.
- Take a large spoonful of rice at a time and gently spread it evenly over the bottom of the pot you boiled the rice in.
- Add more spoonfuls of rice, one at a time, gradually shaping it into a pyramid.
- Wrap the lid of the pot with a clean dish towel and cover firmly to prevent steam from escaping.
- Cook 20 minutes over low heat until the rice is fully cooked.
- To serve, arrange on a serving platter layers of rice, then the caramelized carrot mixture (discarding the cinnamon stick), then the cranberry and nut mixture.
Adding to Planner
Nutrition Facts
| Amount Per Serving | %DV |
|---|---|
| Serving Size 168g | |
| Recipe makes 8 servings | |
| Calories 455 | |
| Calories from Fat 62 | 14% |
| Total Fat 7.2g | 9% |
| Saturated Fat 0.74g | 3% |
| Trans Fat 0.09g | |
| Cholesterol 0mg | 0% |
| Sodium 601mg | 25% |
| Potassium 355mg | 10% |
| Total Carbs 92.41g | 25% |
| Dietary Fiber 4.4g | 15% |
| Sugars 28.86g | 19% |
| Protein 7.2g | 12% |
