Par-boiled, then steamed, this rice is the traditional way to cook Persian rice with just 4 ingredients. Serve with all the favorite Persian stews like ghormeh sabzi and kabobs like koobideh. You can make this recipe with or without saffron.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups basmati rice you can use as little as 1.5 cups
- 3 tbsp salt
- 5 tbsp flavorless oil canola, sunflower seed
- 1 pinch saffron optional, ground
- water
DIRECTIONS
- Wash the rice with cold water until the water runs clear. Then soak it in cold water until the next step.
- Bring ⅔ of a pot of water to boil. Add 3 tablespoons of salt. Then, strain the rice and add it to the pot. Gently stir, bring it back to a boil, then remove the lid to keep it from overflowing.
- When al dente, strain. Do not overcook! If salty, rinse with cold water. Shake the colander to remove as much water as possible.
- Add 3 tablespoons of oil in a pot. Then gently add the drained rice.
- Using the back side of a kitchen utensil, make 6 deep holes in the rice, then put the lid back on. Cook on medium heat, watching it carefully.
- When the lid gets foggy, pour a little oil over the rice – about 3 tbsp. Then put the lid back on and turn the heat to the lowest possible setting.
- Optional: wrap the lid in a kitchen towel. This helps absorb excess water and keep the rice from getting mushy.
- Cook 20-30 min from when the oil is poured on top.
- Optional: If using the saffron, now is the time to steep it. Steep the ground saffron by topping it with 2 ice cubes while the rice cooks.
- If using saffron, now is the time to add it to about a cup of the cooked rice and mix well with a fork. Pour this yellow rice over the rest of the rice in your serving dish.
