Sweet Jeweled Rice Recipes

JEWELED RICE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Spread pistachios on a rimmed baking sheet and toast until just beginning to brown, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate, let cool, then coarsely chop. Spread almonds on the same baking sheet and toast until golden brown, 5-8 minutes; let cool. Set nuts aside.
• Place rice in a fine-mesh sieve and rinse under cold water until water runs clear. Cook rice in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until grains have lengthened but are still firm, 6-7 minutes; drain and rinse under cold water. Spread rice on another rimmed baking sheet; let cool.
• Meanwhile, using a vegetable peeler, remove zest from orange and thinly slice lengthwise (reserve flesh for another use). Bring sugar and 1 cup water to a boil in a medium saucepan, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add orange zest and carrots, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until carrots are tender, 15-20 minutes; drain and set aside (discard syrup).
• Combine barberries and raisins in a small bowl and cover with hot water; let soak 10 minutes. Drain and set aside. Place saffron in another small bowl and add 1/4 cup hot water; set aside.
• Heat butter and 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, season with salt, and cook, stirring often, until soft and beginning to brown, 8-10 minutes. Add cardamom, cumin, turmeric, and 1 tablespoon saffron mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Reduce heat to low, add barberries and raisins, and cook, stirring often, about 3 minutes. Stir in reserved nuts and orange zest and carrot mixture; season with salt. Set fruit and nut mixture aside.
• Heat remaining 3 tablespoons oil in a large wide heavy pot over medium heat. Add half of rice, spreading evenly; top with fruit and nut mixture, then remaining rice, spreading evenly. Using the end of a wooden spoon, poke 5-6 holes in rice all the way through to bottom of pot (to help release steam and help rice cook evenly).
• Drizzle remaining saffron mixture over rice. Place a clean kitchen towel over pot, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and secure loose edges of towel on top of lid, using a rubber band or masking tape.
• Cook until pot begins to steam, 5-8 minutes. Reduce heat to very low and cook, without stirring, until rice is tender and bottom layer of rice is browned and crisp, 30-40 minutes.
• Scoop rice into a wide serving bowl, breaking bottom crust into pieces.
• DO AHEAD: Fruit and nut mixture can be made 2 days ahead. Cover fruit and nut mixture and remaining saffron mixture separately and chill.

SAFFRON JEWEL RICE

Steps:

• Sprinkle the saffron into 1/4 cup hot water; let sit 15 minutes. Meanwhile, combine 2 cups water, the sugar and a pinch of salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the orange zest and carrot, reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until tender, about 4 minutes. Drain and transfer to a bowl; set aside.
• Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, cinnamon stick, cardamom, allspice, cumin and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the rice and 3/4 teaspoon salt and stir to coat. Add 3 cups water, increase the heat to medium high and simmer until the water has mostly evaporated, about 4 minutes. Cover the pot with foil and the lid, reduce the heat to low and cook until the water is completely absorbed, about 12 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, melt 1 tablespoon butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pistachios and almonds and cook until just lightly golden, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and add the dried cranberries and apricots, and 1 tablespoon of the prepared saffron water; stir to combine, then transfer to a bowl and set aside for topping.
• Uncover the rice and fluff with a fork; discard the cinnamon stick and cardamom pods. Transfer about half of the rice to a serving bowl. Add the remaining saffron water, 1 tablespoon butter and the reserved orange peel and carrot to the rice in the pot and stir gently. Add the yellow rice to the white rice and gently toss; sprinkle with the pistachio mixture and parsley.

SWEET RICE

Steps:

• Bring the rice, butter, and water to a boil in a large saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the rice is tender, and the liquid has been absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Whisk together 2 cups of milk, flour, sugar, egg, and vanilla extract in a bowl, and pour the milk mixture over the cooked rice. Stir to combine, and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. Stir in 1 cup whole milk, the cream, raisins, and cinnamon until thoroughly mixed, and allow to cool for a few minutes. Serve warm or cold.

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.

JASMINE JEWELED RICE PERSIAN-STYLE

Steps:

• Reserve a tablespoon each of pistachios, apricots and almonds for garnish.
• Melt a tablespoon of butter in a medium saucepan on low heat. Toss the rice in the butter, then add the remaining pistachios, apricots and almonds, plus the salt and star anise.
• Add boiling water and simmer. Cover and check after 15 minutes, but do not stir.
• Slice onions thinly and place on a baking tray in a flat layer. Drizzle with 4 tablespoons of butter and place in a 350-degree oven. Bake, tossing occasionally, until crispy.
• Place rice mixture in a serving dish and garnish with the reserved pistachios, almonds and apricots, plus the crispy onions.
• Heat remaining butter almost to bubbling, then pour over the rice so that it glistens.

BUTTERY BEJEWELED RICE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Separate dark green parts from scallions; thinly slice dark green parts and white and pale green parts, keeping them separate. Set aside. Arrange almonds and pistachios on opposite sides of a rimmed baking sheet and toast until almonds are golden brown, about 3 minutes. Remove almonds from baking sheet and toss pistachios. Return baking sheet with pistachios to oven and toast until golden brown, about 4 minutes longer. Let cool.
• Melt 3 Tbsp. butter in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened but without having taken on any color, 10-12 minutes. Stir in sugar and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring, until sugar dissolves, about 1 minute. Transfer carrots to a medium bowl.
• Melt another 4 Tbsp. butter in the same pot over medium. Add garlic and reserved pale green and white parts of scallions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened but without taking on any color, about 5 minutes. Stir in rice, cardamom, cinnamon, red pepper flakes, and turmeric and cook, stirring often, until some grains are translucent, about 3 minutes. Add 1 Tbsp. salt and 3¾ cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover pot, and simmer until rice is tender, 25-30 minutes. Remove pot from heat; let sit 10 minutes to allow rice to steam longer.
• While rice is cooking, melt 2 Tbsp. butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add dried fruit and cook, stirring often, until fruit is plumped and softened, about 4 minutes. Set aside.
• Add remaining 3 Tbsp. butter to rice and fluff with a fork. Spoon pilaf onto a large platter. Top with neatly defined rows of dried fruit, almonds, pistachios, carrots, and reserved scallion greens, or, if you prefer, mix all the toppings into the rice before arranging on the platter.

JEWELED RICE

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium. Add onion and cook until softened, 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add rice and cook, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes. Add 2 cups water and bring to a boil over high. Reduce heat, partially cover, and simmer until liquid is absorbed, 10 minutes. Stir in raisins, cover, and let stand 3 minutes before serving.

JEWELLED RICE

Steps:

• Melt butter and ½ tbsp oil in small saucepan, then fry cardamom, bay and cinnamon for 2 mins. Stir in rice to toast for 1 min, then cover with 200ml water. Bring to the boil, cover, then turn heat down and simmer for 5 mins. Stir in barberries, if using, and cook for 5 mins more. Mix saffron with a small splash of boiling water. Once almost all the water has been absorbed by the rice, scatter saffron on top. Cover again, turn off the heat and sit for 5 mins.
• Meanwhile, fry cumin seeds, onions and some salt in the remaining oil until golden and beginning to crisp - this will take around 15 mins. Then spread onions on kitchen paper to remove excess oil.
• To serve, remove whole spices if you like, and scatter the onions on top.