Basmati Rice with Cinnamon and Saffron
February 18, 2010 posted by LC Staff
Madhur Jaffrey | From Curries to Kebabs | Clarkson Potter, 2003 |Serves 4 to 6
This stunning rice dish from Madhur Jaffrey makes a fragrant addition to any dinner party menu, yet it comes together quickly and easily enough to make a welcome appearance at random weeknight dinners. The highly perfumed side elevates just about anything, including spiced kebabs, steamed fish, even simple roast (and let’s be realistic, rotisserie) chicken. When you want something a little more special, we suggest serving it with Jaffrey’s Moghlai Lamb with Spinach (Paalag Gosht) or as an accompaniment to her Gujarati Mango Soup.—Renee Schettler Rossi
convert Ingredients
1 teaspoon saffron threads
3 tablespoons hot milk
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon sugar
2 cups basmati rice
2 tablespoons corn, peanut, or olive oil, or ghee
2 medium sticks cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
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Method
1. Place the saffron on a piece of foil. Fold some of the foil over the saffron and crush it with a rolling pin or a wooden potato masher. Put the crushed saffron in a small cup. Add the hot milk cardamom, and sugar. Mix with a toothpick or the handle of a small spoon and set aside for 3 hours.
2. Put the rice in a bowl and wash in several changes of water. Drain, add fresh water to cover generously, and leave to soak for 30 minutes. Drain.
3. Pour the oil into a heavy, lidded pan that will just hold the cooked rice comfortably and set over medium heat. When the oil is hot, put in the cinnamon sticks. Stir for 10 seconds, then add the rice. Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir the rice around until all the grams look translucent, about 2 minutes. Add 2 2/3 cups of water and the salt. Bring to a boil. Cover.
4. Reduce the heat to very, very low and cook for 25 minutes. Turn off the heat. Lift the lid and quickly dribble in the saffron milk in any haphazard pattern. Quickly cover again and leave for 10 minutes. Mix the rice very delicately with a slotted spoon before serving.
Recipe © 2003 Madhur Jaffrey. Photo © 2003 William Lingwood. All rights reserved.
© 2009 Leite’s Culinaria, Inc. All rights reserved. Terms of use.
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Wow, these flavors seem like they’d make your kitchen (and house) smell amazing for a whole day. Definitely adding to my list of to-try sides. Thanks!
They do create quite the impression! But in a subtle, subdued sort of way, in much the same manner as the fragrance and flavor come through in the dish, which is to say nicely noticeable yet not overwhelming. And soooo simple to make! I’m always seeking new ideas for what goes with this, so please let me know what you served with it…
Wow, this looks wonderful. I gave this book to a friend a while back and have regretted that I never got 2 at once. It’s nice to see a recipe reviewed from it and it reminds me I now need to pick up a copy. Do you think brown basmati would work just as well?
You could use brown basmati in place of white, although it will alter the dish slightly. Using brown will tend to cause the recipe to be slightly heavier and you may lose some of the spices’ delicate nuances to the nuttiness of the brown basmati. But the spices will definitely still make themselves known, and the end result will still no doubt be lovely and fragrant, plus you’ll have the added depth of flavor from the whole grain.
You could use brown basmati in place of white, although it will alter the dish slightly. Using brown will tend to cause the recipe to be slightly heavier and you may lose some of the spices’ delicate nuances to the nuttiness of the brown basmati. But the spices will definitely still make themselves known, and the end result will still no doubt be lovely and fragrant, plus you’ll have the added depth of flavor from the whole grain
Waooo… man, it’s really amazing thing that you’re share with us. It looks so delicious. Thanks for sharing this with us.