Orange Persian Rice Recipes

PERSIAN RICE

Steps:

• Bring water and kosher salt to a boil in a pot; add rice and cook, stirring, for exactly 7 minutes. Drain.
• Heat olive oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Cover bottom of pot with 1 layer of potato slices. Sprinkle cumin and salt over potatoes. Cook until potatoes are sizzling, 2 to 3 minutes; top potatoes with rice to form an even layer. Reduce heat to low and place butter slices over rice.
• Top pot with a layer of clean paper towels and place lid over towels. Steam until rice is fluffy, about 45 minutes.
• Grind saffron threads with a mortar and pestle. Mix crushed saffron with 1 1/2 tablespoons hot water in a large bowl. Add a couple spoonfuls of rice to saffron mixture and stir until rice is yellow.
• Spoon remaining rice into a serving bowl, top with saffron rice, and line edges of bowl with potatoes. Garnish with parsley.

PERSIAN ORANGE RICE WITH ALMONDS

Steps:

• Peel and chop oranges. Remove as much of white as possible from inside of rind by scraping gently with a sharp knife. Sliver rind as thinly as possible. Blanch rind and set aside. In a blender puree oranges, garlic, ginger, saffron, chiles, curry powder, cinnamon, dill, orange juice, sugar, and anise. In a large, heavy skillet or casserole with a tight-fitting lid, melt butter. Gently saute orange rind for 1 minute. Adjust heat to keep butter from burning. Pour in contents of blender and broth and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add rice and stir. Smooth top of rice and cook until done. Stir gently to fluff; add almonds, pistachios, and parsley, and fluff again. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pile into a serving dish and serve hot.

ORANGE PERSIAN RICE

Steps:

• Melt butter in a small dutch oven, or medium sized sauce pan, over medium heat.
• Add rice, stirring constantly until rice is lightly browned.
• Add salt, raisins, red pepper flakes, grated ginger-root, chicken broth, and orange juice.
• Bring to boil; reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
• Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes.
• Add fresh parsley (optional), grated orange zest, and toasted almonds.

ORANGE-FLAVORED RICE

Steps:

• Place a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the olive oil and rice, and cook until the rice smells toasty, about 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock and half of the orange zest and juice. Bring to a boil, stir once more, then cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer until tender and the liquid has been absorbed, 18 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand, still covered, for 5 minutes. Stir the remaining orange zest and juice into the rice, and garnish with the green onions.

PERSIAN RICE

Steps:

• Place rice in a medium saucepan; add 2 teaspoons salt and cold water to cover by 2". Bring to a boil over medium heat; reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain rice, reserving 3/4 cup cooking liquid.
• Place saffron and 1/2 cup reserved cooking liquid in a small bowl; let saffron soften for 5 minutes. Place yogurt in a medium bowl and stir in remaining 1 teaspoon salt and saffron water. Add rice and stir to coat.
• Melt butter in a large deep nonstick skillet over medium heat; swirl to coat bottom and sides of pan. Add rice, mounding slightly in center. Poke 6-7 holes in rice with the end of a wooden spoon. Cover with foil, then a lid. Cook, rotating skillet over burner for even cooking, for 10 minutes (do not stir). Reduce heat to low; cook, adding more reserved cooking liquid by tablespoonfuls if rice has not finished cooking when water evaporates, until a golden brown crust forms on bottom of rice, 20-25 minutes.
• Remove lid and foil; invert a plate over skillet. Using oven mitts, carefully invert rice onto plate; use a heatproof spatula to remove any crust remaining in skillet.

PERSIAN JEWELED RICE

Steps:

• Rinse basmati rice until water runs clear. Place in a bowl, cover with water and add 1 tablespoon salt. Allow to soak for at least 4 hours or overnight.
• Using a mortar and pestle, grind together saffron and sugar. Combine with a scant 1/3 cup boiling water, and set aside to steep. Bring a stockpot of lightly salted water to a rolling boil. Drain rice and add to pot; cook exactly 6 minutes, then drain into fine-meshed colander.
• Place a round Dutch oven or other wide pan with a lid over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon butter and vegetable oil. When butter has melted, add potato slices in a single layer. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spread potatoes evenly with a layer of rice about 1 inch thick. Sprinkle 1 cup barberries in stages over rice. Continue to add rice in smaller and smaller layers, sprinkling barberries between each layer, to make a pyramid of rice with no berries on top.
• Using the handle of a round wooden spoon, poke 3 holes into top of rice until spoon touches potato layer. Combine melted butter with saffron mixture, and pour all over rice. Cover underside of pot lid with a large dry cotton kitchen towel. Place on pan, making sure no ends dangle near source of heat.
• Cook rice mixture over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, then reduce heat to low. Cook 40 to 45 minutes. To serve, spoon rice onto a heated serving platter. Top with rows of almonds, pistachios, candied orange zest and remaining 1/2 cup barberries. Arrange potatoes from bottom of pan in another dish, and serve alongside rice.

PERSIAN RICE

Steps:

• Bring the water to a boil in a large pot, add the salt, and then boil the washed rice for ten minutes; drain and reserve.
• Dip the potato slices in the melted butter and use them to line the bottom AND sides of the same pot you just boiled the rice in.
• Pour any leftover butter in the bottom of the pot.
• Now, very carefully (don't move the potatoes), place the partially cooked rice into the potato-lined pot.
• Cover the pot with a teatowel and then its lid and place over medium-low heat; this steams the rice and cooks and browns the potatoes.
• This will take about 1/2 hour, but carefully check the rice for doneness and the potatoes for browning after about 20 minutes.
• When the rice and potatoes are done (potatoes will be browned and crispy), remove from heat and remove lid and teatowel.
• Place a large platter over top of pot and very carefully invert the pot.
• The whole thing should slide out; if some potatoes come away, put them back where they belong.
• I was told the crust is called the"tadiq" and it is the part the family members all fight over.
• I admit that, when I tried to make this dish, it all fell apart; it was tasty though.