Saffron Rice with Fruits and Nuts

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Recipe for Saffron Rice with dried fruits and nuts | Saffron, Fruit and Nut Pilaf | Saffron Recipes

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This Persian inspired Saffron Rice studded with lightly sautéed dried fruits and nuts is a showstopper of a dish. Not as fancy or time consuming as a biryani, this special dish is just perfect for any festive occasion and even as an offering / prasad as it has no onions or garlic.

I love how bejewelled this rice dish looks from the green of the pistachios, the reds of the cranberries and the plumped up raisins!

Tips to making a perfect saffron rice:

1. Use pure saffron powder or gently toasted saffron strands powdered with some granulated sugar in a small mortar-pestle.
2. Use fragrant long grain basmati rice.
3. Use good quality ghee to toast the dried fruit and nuts, as well as the rice for the best flavour.

[TIP: Keep nuts like cashews and almonds in sealed bags in the freezer to make them last longer and prevent them from turning rancid.]

What can you serve saffron rice with? Any spicy curry will pair well with this mild saffron rice.

You can also check out these rice dishes on my blog –

• Parsi Brown Rice
• Paneer Pulao

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Saffron Rice with Fruits and Nuts

This Persian inspired Saffron Rice studded with lightly sautéed dried fruits and nuts is a showstopper of a dish, perfect for any festive occasion.

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Indian

Servings 4 serving

Ingredients

  

• 1 cup basmati rice long grained
• 1 tbsp ghee
• 2 tbsps almonds chopped
• 2 tbsps pistachios chopped
• 2 tbsps cashewnuts chopped
• 2 tbsps cranberries chopped chopped
• 2 tbsps raisins
• 2 cardamoms green
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 6 cloves
• xbd tsp salt
• 2 cups water
• xbd saffron sachet powder
• 1 tbsp milk

Instructions

 

• To prepare the saffron rice, wash the rice and soak it in water for 30 minutes.
• Heat ghee in a pan. Add the chopped nuts and dried fruit. Saute on medium flame until cashews are golden brown and raisins are puffed up. Using a slotted spoon, remove from ghee and keep aside.
• In the remaining ghee, add the cardamom, bay leaf, cinnamon and cloves. Stir for 1 minute or so until the cinnamon unfurls and cloves are puffed up.
• Drain the rice and add to the pan. Toast the rice with the spices on medium flame for 2-3 minutes.
• Add 2 cups water and salt. Bring this to a boil.
• Once the water is boiling, reduce flame, cover with a lid and allow to cook for 8 minutes or until the rice is nearly cooked.
• Whisk the saffron powder in the milk and tip it into the nearly cooked rice.
• Gently toss the rice in the saffron milk until it gets a uniformly golden hue. Remove the pan from the flame.
• Mix half the fruit-nut mix into the rice.
• Remove this onto a platter. Garnish with the leftover fruit-nut mix. Serve with a spicy curry.

Notes

More Saffron Recipes: