Sour Cherry Rice Recipes

SOUR CHERRY RICE

Steps:

• Fill large pot with water; add 2 tablespoons salt and soak rice for two hours; drain.
• In large nonstick pot, add 9 cups water, 2 tablespoons salt and pre-soaked rice; bring to boil stirring gently occasionally to prevent rice from sticking; cook until al dente; Drain.
• Rinse rice with cold water, then shake colander to remove excess water; set aside.
• In skillet, fry onion in 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter until golden; lower flame.
• Add saffron and sour cherries to onions; simmer for 15 minutes, being careful not to burn.
• Cover bottom of nonstick pot with olive oil.
• Separate one piece of pita bread and place it on the bottom of pot.
• Spoon thick layer of rice over pita bread; spoon layer of sour cherry preserves over rice, then alternate layers, forming a mound.
• Poke holes in rice mixture with handle of spatula to allow steam to rise.
• Mix until rice takes on color of preserves.
• Melt remaining 11/2 sticks of butter (6 ounces); pour evenly over rice. (If juice from cherries gathers around edges of pot, skim off excess so tadiq at bottom won't be mushy.).
• Cover with clean towel and put lid on.
• Place pot on medium heat.
• When you hear sizzling at the bottom (after about 5 minutes), bring down heat to low. Cook covered for 45 minutes to an hour.

ALBALOO POLO

Steps:

• Cook rice in a large pot of salted water as you would pasta, boiling until just cooked through with some bite in center, 7 to 9 minutes. Drain in a fine-mesh sieve, then rinse with cool water; drain again. In a small bowl, steep saffron in hot water until liquid is bright orange, 5 minutes.
• Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add one-third of cooked rice, spreading it to edges of pan in an even layer. Scatter half of preserves on top of rice, then poke 4 holes through rice with the bottom of a wooden spoon. Cut 1 tablespoon butter into small pieces; place on holes. Spoon half of remaining rice on top, followed by remaining preserves; poke 4 more holes and dot each with remaining 1 tablespoon butter, cut into small pieces. Stir saffron mixture into remaining rice; add to pot as final layer. Wrap lid with a clean kitchen towel and cover pot. Reduce heat to low and cook until rice is tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Fluff with a fork and season with salt; serve.