I don’t know about you, but I could literally eat a side of rice with every meal and be perfectly content about it. It’s like the perfect side dish for just about anything. However, plain old rice tends to get boring, which is why I like to change it up from time to time. Sure you have the classic options such as Spanish rice, cilantro rice, and of course fried rice. But for me, I like to keep it easy with simple saffron rice.
Not only is it super easy to make, but it has a mild enough flavor that you could pair it with practically anything. Making grilled chicken? Then pair it with a side of saffron rice. Doing a pork roast? Then serve it with a side of saffron rice. Is tonight stir fry night? Then have a side of saffron rice.
And the best part about my recipe for saffron rice is the fact that you don’t need a rice cooker to make it. That’s right, all you need is a pot with a lid, and a little bit of patience to whip up this wonderful side dish.
So if you’re ready then let’s get to making today’s recipe!
Tips, Tricks, & Suggestions
- For today’s recipe, we are going to be using saffron that has been bloomed. If you don’t know what that is or how to make it then check out our quick lesson on it here.
- In my opinion, basmati is the best rice for this recipe. However, if you can’t find basmati rice then you can easily swap it out with any other type of long grain rice
- When making rice in a pot it is extremely important that you don’t lift the lid off any time during the cooking process.
- You can also kick up this rice dish by adding in some fresh herbs, or even a tablespoon of chicken bouillon.
- I love serving this saffron rice with joojeh kebabs, chipotle lime pork chops, or pan-fried walleye.
Saffron Rice Recipe
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Servings: 6
Ingredients
2 Cups of basmati rice
4 Tablespoons of salted butter
¼ Cup of bloomed saffron
Water
Instructions
- Prep the rice: Before we cook our rice we will want to remove some of its excess starch. Start by adding the rice to a bowl and covering it with cold water. Next, use your hands to agitate the rice until the water becomes cloudy. Then drain the rice of the cloudy water and repeat these steps until the water is clear when agitated.
- Cook the rice: Get out a medium-sized pot and add enough water that is needed for 2 cups of rice. Place this over high heat until the water comes to a boil. Then toss and stir in the ¼ cup of bloomed saffron along with the 2 cups of rice.
Let this come to a boil again, and then cover the pot, reducing the heat to a low simmer. Then just let the rice cook for 10 to 15 minutes, until all of the water is absorbed.
- Let it sit: After the rice has cooked for 10 to 15 minutes, turn off the heat and let the rice sit in the covered pot for an additional 10 minutes. Make sure that you don’t remove the lid at any point during this step as we want the rice to steam.
- Finish the rice: Take the lid off of the rice and toss in the butter. Then use a fork to not only fluff the rice but to also stir the butter in until it is melted.
- Serve the saffron rice immediately and enjoy!
Saffron Rice Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 Cups of basmati rice
- 4 Tablespoons of salted butter
- ¼ Cup of bloomed saffron
- Water
Instructions
- Prep the rice: Before we cook our rice we will want to remove some of its excess starch. Start by adding the rice to a bowl and covering it with cold water. Next, use your hands to agitate the rice until the water becomes cloudy. Then drain the rice of the cloudy water and repeat these steps until the water is clear when agitated.
- Cook the rice: Get out a medium-sized pot and add enough water that is needed for 2 cups of rice. Place this over high heat until the water comes to a boil. Then toss and stir in the ¼ cup of bloomed saffron along with the 2 cups of rice. Let this come to a boil again, and then cover the pot, reducing the heat to a low simmer. Then just let the rice cook for 10 to 15 minutes, until all of the water is absorbed.
- Let it sit: After the rice has cooked for 10 to 15 minutes, turn off the heat and let the rice sit in the covered pot for an additional 10 minutes. Make sure that you don’t remove the lid at any point during this step as we want the rice to steam.
- Finish the rice: Take the lid off of the rice and toss in the butter. Then use a fork to not only fluff the rice but to also stir the butter in until it is melted.
- Serve the saffron rice immediately and enjoy!
Inspiration from other blogs
From Sweet Peas & Saffron
From Sweet & Savory
