Saffron Almond Rice Pilaf Recipes

SAFFRON RICE PILAF WITH TOASTED ALMONDS

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan on medium-low heat, toast almonds until they turn a golden-brown color. Remove from saucepan and set aside.
• In the same saucepan on medium heat, melt butter.
• Add vermicelli noodles and brown for 1 minute.
• Add rice and brown for 1-2 additional minutes being careful not to burn noodles or rice.
• Add seasoned salt, saffron, toasted almonds and chicken broth and bring to a boil.
• Cover saucepan and reduce heat to lowest setting. Cook covered for 16 minutes.
• Remove lid and fluff with a fork.

SAFFRON ALMOND RICE PILAF

Steps:

• In a large saucepan over medium high heat, bring the vegetable broth to a boil. Turn off the heat and add the saffron, salt and pepper; set aside.
• Heat the butter in a large saucepan over medium high heat until melted and bubbly. Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes, until onion begins to soften.
• Add the basmati rice to the onions and stir over medium high heat for 2 minutes, until the rice begins to brown.
• Add the broth mixture to the rice, bring to a boil then turn heat down to simmer, cover the pot and simmer for 10 minutes, until the rice has absorbed water and is no longer crunchy.

SAFFRON RICE PILAF

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a saucepot over medium-high heat. Add the pasta and toast until golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chicken stock, rice, raisins, chile pepper, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, saffron and season with salt. Bring to boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 18 minutes.

JEWELED SAFFRON RICE PILAF

Steps:

• Bring a large nonstick saucepot of water to a boil and generously salt. Transfer ½ cup boiling water to a bowl and stir in the saffron; reserve. Add the rice to a boiling water and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Drain well. Melt the butter in the same pot over medium-low heat and stir in the coriander and cumin. Reduce the heat to low and spread one-third of the rice evenly across the bottom. Sprinkle with one-third of the saffron mixture and half of the cranberries and currants. Spoon half of the remaining rice over the dried fruit and sprinkle with half of the remaining saffron mixture and the remaining dried fruit. Top with the remaining rice and saffron mixture. Poke 5 holes in the rice with the handle of a wooden spoon. Wrap a clean kitchen towel around the pot lid, cover the rice, and steam for 35 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand for 10 minutes. Spoon the rice, including its crunchy golden bottom layer, onto a serving platter and top with the almonds and pistachios.

SAFFRON ALMOND RICE PILAF

Steps:

• Heat broth and water in a small saucepan over moderate heat until hot, then crumble saffron into liquid and stir. Remove from heat.
• Cook onion in butter in a 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 5 to 8 minutes.
• Add rice and cook, stirring, until fragrant and pale golden, about 3 minutes. Stir in saffron broth, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook, covered, until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 18 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 5 minutes, then fluff rice with a fork and fold in almonds.

RICE PILAF WITH ALMONDS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion, and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Stir in coriander, and season with salt and pepper. Add rice, and cook, stirring, until the edges of the rice kernels are transparent, about 2 minutes.
• Stir in broth or water. Bring to a boil; cover, and simmer over low heat until liquid has absorbed, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat, and let stand, covered, for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, spread almonds in one layer on a baking sheet; bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes.
• Stir parsley into the rice mixture. Serve sprinkled with almonds.

APRICOT ALMOND PILAF

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat; cook and stir onion and carrot until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in basmati rice and salt; cook and stir until rice is slightly opaque, about 3 minutes.
• Pour in water; stir to combine. Mix in saffron threads, rose water, apricots, and almonds; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until rice has absorbed the liquid, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and allow pilaf to stand covered for 10 more minutes. Stir before serving.

DELICIOUS ALMOND RICE PILAF

Steps:

• Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat; cook and stir onion until tender, about 5 minutes. Add rice and almonds, cooking and stirring until rice is lightly toasted, about 5 minutes more. Stir in water, bouillon, and parsley; cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until water is absorbed and rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and allow rice to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

SAFFRON RICE PILAF WITH RED PEPPERS & TOASTED ALMONDS

Steps:

• On the stove top or in the microwave, heat the broth until hot. Add the saffron, cover, and let sit for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a heavy-based 3-quart saucepan with a tight lid, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the diced onion and bell pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft but not browned, about 5 minutes.
• Add the rice, salt and cayenne, and stir well to coat each grain with oil. Toast for a full five minutes, stirring regularly to keep the grains separated and to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pan (the rice may turn opaque before 5 minutes is up, but keep going). Reduce the heat to low if there are any signs of scorching. Stir in 2 tablespoons of parsley and the garlic.
• Add the saffron broth, stir once, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 18 minutes. Remove from the heat, and let the pilaf sit, still covered, for five minutes.
• Once the pilaf has rested, remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork. Using the fork, gently fold in the almonds, the remaining parsley, and the oregano. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed.
• P.S. You might be tempted to leave out the saffron because it's expensive, but DON'T DO IT! It's worth every penny, and one jar goes a long way. If you have a Trader Joe's in your area, you can pick up a jar for about three to four bucks. If you don't have a TJ's, I'm sorry for you.

SAFFRON RICE PILAF WITH APRICOTS AND ALMONDS

Steps:

• Melt butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped onion, ground saffron and cloves and saut&5 minutes. Add rice and stir to coat grains. Mix in chicken stock, dried apricots and currants. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Fluff rice with fork. Add slivered almonds and season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl and serve.