Persian Rice With Cinnamon Pistachios And Golden Raisins Recipes

PERSIAN RICE WITH CINNAMON, PISTACHIOS AND GOLDEN RAISINS

Steps:

• In a saute pan heat the butter over medium heat. Add the rice and saute for about 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly, until the grains begin to turn golden.
• Stir in the salt, pepper, garlic, orange peel, cinnamon and curry powder. Saute another minute, stirring until the mixture starts to smell fragrant. Now add the water, cover the pan, turn down the heat to a simmer.
• Cook the rice for 25 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the pistachios and golden raisins/sultanas. Remove the orange peels before serving or warn everyone not to eat them.

CRUSTY PERSIAN RICE WITH CINNAMON AND PISTACHIO

Steps:

• Put rice in medium bowl with water to cover. Drain and repeat procedure 5 times. Return rice to the bowl and gently fill the bowl with cold running water. Keep the water running gently into the bowl until the liquid runs clear. Drain, return rice to the bowl with water to cover, and let stand for at least 6 hours. Can let stand at room temperature overnight. Bring 4 quarts of water with 2 tablespoons salt to boil in a soup kettle. Keep the water boiling while slowly adding the drained rice. Simmer for 5 minutes; rinse with cold running water and drain thoroughly. Remove 1 cup of rice and stir in the saffron threads; set aside. Put the plain rice in a large bowl. Peel a 3- by 1-inch strip of zest from the orange and cut into ⅛ -inch dice. Bring 1 cup of water to boil in a small saucepan, add the zest, and simmer for 2 minutes. Drain the zest and pat dry. Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a small skillet and sauté the zest for 15 seconds; add the sugar and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in cinnamon, pistachios, raisins, and ¼ teaspoon salt; sauté, stirring continuously to coat with butter-sugar mixture. Stir zest mixture into the plain rice. Melt the remaining butter. Coat the bottom and sides of a heavy, lidded, 3-quart saucepan (preferably cast iron) with 1 tablespoon of the melted butter mixed with the oil. Heat the coated pan until hot. Remove from the heat and spread half of the zested rice over the bottom of the pan, pressing down well with a spoon. Cover with a mound of the remaining zested rice. Sprinkle the saffron rice over the top. Use the handle of a wooden spoon to make a hole in the center of the rice deep enough to reach the bottom of the pan. Make 2 or 3 additional holes in the rice to allow steam to escape. Drizzle rice with remaining 4 tablespoons of melted butter. Cook rice for 6 minutes over low heat, uncovered. Wrap lid in a linen towel, securing towel ends under or around lid handle. Cover the pot with the towel-wrapped lid and steam over low heat for 40 to 60 minutes, until a crisp golden crust forms on the bottom of the rice. Remove pan from heat and let stand for 10 minutes. SERVING: Spoon soft, fluffy rice onto a platter. Break the bottom crust into pieces and arrange around the fluffy rice. Serve immediately.

CRUSTY PERSIAN RICE WITH CINNAMON AND PISTACHIOS

Steps:

• Put rice in medium bowl with water to cover. Drain and repeat procedure 5 times. Return rice to the bowl and gently fill the bowl with cold running water. Keep the water running gently into the bowl until the liquid runs clear. Drain, return rice to the bowl with water to cover, and let stand for at least 6 hours. (Can let stand at room temperature overnight.) Bring 4 quarts of water with 2 tablespoons salt to boil in a soup kettle. Keep the water boiling while slowly adding the drained rice. Simmer for 5 minutes; rinse with cold running water and drain thoroughly. Remove 1 cup of rice and stir in the saffron threads; set aside. Put the plain rice in a large bowl. Peel a 3- by 1-inch strip of zest from the orange and cut into ⅛ -inch dice. Bring 1 cup of water to boil in a small saucepan, add the zest, and simmer for 2 minutes. Drain the zest and pat dry. Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a small skillet and sauté the zest for 15 seconds; add the sugar and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in cinnamon, pistachios, raisins, and ¼ teaspoon salt; sauté, stirring continuously to coat with butter-sugar mixture. Stir zest mixture into the plain rice. Melt the remaining butter. Coat the bottom and sides of a heavy, lidded, 3-quart saucepan (preferably cast iron) with 1 tablespoon of the melted butter mixed with the oil. Heat the coated pan until hot. Remove from the heat and spread half of the zested rice over the bottom of the pan, pressing down well with a spoon. Cover with a mound of the remaining zested rice. Sprinkle the saffron rice over the top. Use the handle of a wooden spoon to make a hole in the center of the rice deep enough to reach the bottom of the pan. Make 2 or 3 additional holes in the rice to allow steam to escape. Drizzle rice with remaining 4 tablespoons of melted butter. Cook rice for 6 minutes over low heat, uncovered. Wrap lid in a linen towel, securing towel ends under or around lid handle. Cover the pot with the towel-wrapped lid and steam over low heat for 40 to 60 minutes, until a crisp golden crust forms on the bottom of the rice. Remove pan from heat and let stand for 10 minutes. SERVING: Spoon soft, fluffy rice onto a platter. Break the bottom crust into pieces and arrange around the fluffy rice.

INDIAN SWEET SAFFRON RICE WITH RAISINS AND PISTACHIOS

Steps:

• Bring water to boil in saucepan. Place the saffron threads in a small bowl and add 2 1/2 tablespoons of the boiling water and soak the threads for 10 to 15 minutes.
• In the meantime, add the basmati rice, cinnamon stick, cloves and salt to the saucepan of boiling water. Cover and simmer 20 to 25 minutes or until rice is tender. Remove from heat and let sit with cover on for 5 minutes.
• Optional: In small pan, lightly saute onion in oil and set aside.
• Next combine the saffron water (strain the water through a small sieve to remove threads), sweetener and cardamom seeds in a small saucepan. Place over medium heat and stir until the sweetener is dissolved. Lower heat and simmer 1 minute. Pour the syrup over the rice (and stir in onions if using) then re-cover pan.
• Heat the ghee or oil in small pan over medium-low heat until warm but not smoking. Fry the nuts and raisins until nuts are golden brown and the raisins swell. Stir the raisins, nuts and oil into the hot cooked rice and gently fluff with fork. Remove cinnamon stick and cloves. Spoon rice onto a serving platter and garnish with toasted nuts if desired.

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.

CINNAMON BASMATI RICE WITH GOLDEN RAISINS

Steps:

• Melt butter in a medium high-sided saucepan set over medium heat. Add onion, cloves, and cinnamon; cook until onion becomes translucent and mixture is very fragrant.
• Place rice in sieve, and rinse under cold running water. Add rice to saucepan, and stir so grains are coated in butter mixture.
• Add bay leaf, cinnamon stick, raisins, salt, and pepper to saucepan. Stir in 2 cups water. Raise heat, and bring to a boil. Cover, and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until all water has been absorbed and rice has cooked, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Remove pan from heat, and let stand, covered, 5 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper, and serve.

RICE PILAF WITH PISTACHIOS AND GOLDEN RAISINS

Steps:

• In a small heavy saucepan cook the onion with the turmeric and the cardamom in 1 tablespoon of the butter over moderately low heat, stirring, until the onion is softened. Add the rice and cook it, stirring, until it is coated with the butter. Add the broth, bring the liquid to a boil, covered, and simmer the mixture for 17 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender. Stir in the pistachios, the raisins, the scallion greens, the remaining 1/2 tablespoon butter, and salt and pepper to taste.

PERSIAN RICE WITH CHOPPED PISTACHIOS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Fill a large saucepan with 4 quarts water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon salt, return to a boil, and stir in rice, cinnamon, cloves, peppercorns, and cardamom seeds. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until rice is tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and let stand in a sieve.
• Place a large ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add butter and cook until melted. Remove 3 tablespoons melted butter and set aside. Add onions and saffron to skillet and cook, stirring until onions are golden, about 8 minutes. Spread onion in an even layer in skillet.
• Season rice with salt. Spoon half of rice over onion, spreading evenly. Sprinkle with apricots and cherries. Evenly spread remaining rice over fruit, pressing down firmly to compact.
• Drizzle reserved butter evenly over the top. Cover skillet with a double layer of parchment-lined aluminum foil, pressing down on the top and crimping the edges. Transfer to oven and bake 1 hour.
• Let stand, covered, for 10 minutes. Uncover, and invert a large round platter over the skillet. Carefully, turn the skillet and platter over. Remove skillet, and sprinkle with chopped pistachios.

DAVID TANIS'S PERSIAN JEWELED RICE

Steps:

• Rinse the rice several times in cold water until the water runs clear. Drain. Bring 3 quarts water to a boil in a large pot with 2 tablespoons kosher salt. Add the rinsed rice and boil, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, then drain well in a colander.
• Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, season lightly with salt and cook until softened and lightly colored, 4 to 5 minutes. Moisten with 1 tablespoon saffron water and stir in the cinnamon, cardamom, allspice, black pepper and cumin. Cook for 1 minute more. Stir in the apricots, raisins (or currants) and barberries (or cherries or cranberries).
• Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a heavy-bottomed enamel or nonstick Dutch oven over medium heat. Spread half the par-cooked rice over the bottom of the pot. Spoon over the onion-fruit mixture, then the remaining rice. Leave the pot on the flame, uncovered, for 5 to 8 minutes to gently brown the rice. (Do not stir or move the rice - you will need to rely on your nose to tell if the rice has browned.)
• Drizzle the remaining saffron water over the rice and put on the lid. Adjust the heat to very low and leave undisturbed for 30 minutes. Turn off the heat and let rest at least 10 minutes.
• Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a small skillet over medium-low heat and gently toast the almonds and pistachios for a minute or so, taking care not to get them too brown. Set aside for garnish.
• To serve, spoon the rice into a wide bowl or platter. With a spatula, carefully lift the bottom crust, placing the crisp side up. Sprinkle with the toasted nuts.