Persian Jeweled Rice
A stunning vegetarian rice pilaf studded with dried fruits, nuts, and warm spices. Sweet, savory, and nutty flavors create an elegant side dish or light main course.
- Total time
- 35 min
- Servings
- 4
- Calories
- 487
- Protein
- 12g
Ingredients
- 2 cups Basmati rice
- 3 cups Vegetable broth
- ½ cup Dried apricots, chopped
- ½ cup Dried cranberries
- ½ cup Slivered almonds
- ½ cup Pistachios, chopped
- 3 tablespoons Butter
- 1 teaspoon Ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon Ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
Instructions
- 1
Place the basmati rice in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse under cold running water for 30 seconds, shaking gently, until the water runs mostly clear—this removes excess starch so grains stay separate.
- 2
Chop the dried apricots into pieces about the size of a chickpea by cutting each apricot in half, then cutting each half in half again.
- 3
Place the 3 tablespoons of butter in a large pot with a lid and set the heat to medium, melting the butter until it stops foaming, about 1 minute.
- 4
Add the 1 teaspoon cumin, 0.5 teaspoon cinnamon, and 0.5 teaspoon turmeric to the hot butter and stir constantly for 30 seconds until the spices smell strongly fragrant—this releases their flavor.
- 5
Pour the rinsed rice into the spiced butter and stir constantly for 2 minutes until each grain looks glossy and coated, which toasts the rice lightly.
- 6
Pour in the 3 cups of vegetable broth and stir once to distribute the rice evenly, then bring to a boil over medium-high heat—you'll see large bubbles breaking the surface.
- 7
Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, place the lid on the pot, and cook without lifting the lid for 15 minutes until the rice is tender and liquid is absorbed.
- 8
Remove the pot from heat and let it sit covered for 5 minutes—this allows residual heat to finish cooking and lets grains firm up slightly.
- 9
Gently fluff the rice with a fork, using light lifting motions to separate the grains without breaking them.
- 10
Fold the chopped apricots, cranberries, almonds, and pistachios into the fluffed rice by gently lifting rice from the bottom of the pot with a fork and turning it over the fruit and nuts, rotating the pot a quarter turn and repeating until evenly distributed.
- 11
Transfer the jeweled rice to a serving platter, mounding it in the center so the colorful fruit and nuts are visible on the surface.
Tools you’ll need
- fine-mesh strainer
- cutting board
- chef's knife
- large pot with lid
- wooden spoon
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- fork
- serving platter
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