Yummy Rice Recipe

September 30, 2006 /

I posted a recipe last Sunday, for a vegetarian dish. Today I’m going to post a recipe for Saffron-Orange Rice, which is VERY yummy. My step-mom makes this recipe. I know it’s from a cookbook, but I don’t know which one. I’ve had it on previous trips to Portland, but I never thought to make it for Ted, because he’s not a fan of basmati rice AND he thinks dried fruit is devil food AND he’s not generally thrilled by nuts either. So I was excited when he raved about this dish, and said he would like to have it again. Right away, I emailed my step-mom for the recipe. It’s VERY good. We had it with a roast chicken and green beans sauteed with walnuts and gorgonzola cheese. It would be really yummy with rack of lamb, I think, or with a hearty vegetarian dish, such as stuffed eggplant.

Saffron-Orange Rice

Ingredients:
1 tsp saffron threads
2 tblsp hot milk
1 cup basmati rice
4 tblsp ghee or unsalted butter
6 whole green cardamom pods
2 tblsp whole raw cashews, split in half lengthwise
1 tblsp blanched slivered almonds
1 tblsp golden raisins
5 slices of dried orange skin *
7 tblsp sugar **
1/2 tsp salt

Put the saffron in a very small cup or bowl. Add the milk and set aside for 2 to 3 hours. ***

Wash the rice in several changes of water. Drain. Put the rice in a bowl, add water to cover by 2 inches, and set aside for 30 minutes. Drain.

Preheat oven to 325F.

Put the ghee or butter in a heavy flame and ovenproof pot and set over medium-high heat.**** When it is hot, put in the cardamom pods, cashews, almonds, and raisins. Stir until the almonds are golden. Put in the rice and stir gently for a minute. Add the orange skin, sugar, saffron and milk, salt, and 1 1/3 cups of water. Stir gently to mix and bring to a boil. Cover, first with a piece of foil and then with a lid, and place in the oven. Bake for 30 minutes. Stir gently before serving.

Remove the cardamom pods before serving, as they are not meant to be eaten.

Serves 4.

* I didn’t really try to find dried orange skin. I zested two oranges, and used that instead.

** I used 1/2 this amount, and it was plenty sweet.

*** I didn’t notice this step ahead of time, so mine only sat for 1/2 hour. Still very yummy.

**** We don’t have a pot that I trust to go from the stove to the oven, so I used a skillet for the first steps, and put a covered casserole dish in the oven to preheat. I wasn’t sure if it would affect the recipe if I were to pour the hot rice mixture into a lukewarm casserole dish, and I didn’t want to take a chance. 😉

I hope you enjoy this dish as much as we do. Happy cooking!

9 Comments

  • Shelliza Ragnauth-McCarville

    October 1, 2006 at 12:50 am

    Thought I’d look up your recipe today, before I went grocery shopping. Not a fan of Basmati and was wondering if I could use a substitute. Thanks for the recipe.
    BTW, the music downloads got me hooked. Purchased Susheela Raman’s “Love trap” and Quiet by Sheila Chandra over at Amazon. Have you ever heard Anoushka Shankar’s music? Do you like it?

  • J

    October 1, 2006 at 1:38 am

    Shelliza, you don’t like basmati? Is that a Guyanese thing? Ted’s grandfather had a rice plantation there, and the family mostly only likes THAT kind of rice. It’s regular long grain.

    I’m sure you could use another type of rice, though I would try it with basmati the first time, just to be sure. Ted doesn’t like basmati either, and he loves this.

    I don’t know a lot of Indian music, but is Anoushka Shankar Ravi Shankar’s daughter? Seems like I may have picked that bit of info up by osmosis around here. 😉 Ted’s mom loves Indian music, so might know. Ted’s the go-to guy, though.

    Good luck with the rice!

  • CG

    October 1, 2006 at 2:11 am

    Anoushka Shankar’s music is very nice to listen to . She does the fusion thing, She sings lovely and her sitar playing is quite unique. What a talent! I really like Susheela Ramen. Her voice is very soothing and here range is fabulous. Enjoy Shelliza

  • Andie D.

    October 1, 2006 at 2:37 am

    Hi J!

    I wanted to reply to a comment you left on my site, but couldn’t find an email for you. If you have one, please let me know!

    I really like the new site. Thinking of ditching Blogger myself.

  • Shelliza Ragnauth-McCarville

    October 1, 2006 at 6:17 am

    J, I didn’t grow up eating Basmati, I only heard of it when we moved to Torornto and has never really developed a taste for “authentic” Indian foods (except a few. My Grandfather, also owned acres of rice land in Berbice. I think most of the East Indians in Berbice planted rice and owned land.
    Anoushka Shankar is Ravi Shankar’s daughter, so is Norah Jones.

    P.S. Great Bollywood film to watch – Bride and Prejudice

  • Lotus

    October 2, 2006 at 11:29 pm

    I’m salivating at the thought of making this rice, thanks so much for sharing the recipe, J! Where do you buy your saffron from? I usually stock up every time we visit Dubai, but for now my saffron box is empty. And to the reader who suggested Susheela Raman – I give her music a big thumbs up. We enjoy listening to her!!!