Saffron rice

Saffron rice is a lightly fragranced pale yellow rice made using basmati infused with the delicate flavour of saffron. This easy stove top rice recipe can be prepared and cooked in a little over half an hour by following a few simple steps.

This savoury rice recipe is a popular dish around the Mediterranean and in the Middle East. Similar to pilau rice, this rice dish makes a tasty accompaniment to many main meals or light lunches. It is also perfect for stuffed vegetable dishes such as stuffed peppers.

It can be enjoyed either hot or cold, can be stored in the fridge or can be frozen.

This saffron rice recipe is sufficient for around 5 servings as a side dish.

What is saffron?

Saffron is a delicate spice cultivated from Crocus sativus, more commonly known as Saffron crocus or Autumn crocus and is part of the iris family, Iridaceae. Accordingly to Statista in 2019 the world's largest producers of saffron included Iran, India, Greece, Afghanistan, Morocco and Spain.

Each flower has between two and four stigma which are collected by hand and dried to produce saffron threads so it is not surprising that it is one of the most expensive spices in the world. But, you don't need much to add flavour and colour to your food so a small amount will go a long way. Cooking basmati rice with saffron is just one of the ways to use this spice.

Ingredients

You will need the following for this yellow rice recipe:

• 1 onion - finely chopped. Here I have used a Spanish onion but you could use any type of onion white is light in colour. A coloured onion such as a red onion would change the appearance of this rice dish.

• 1 clove garlic - finely chopped.

• Half a teaspoon of saffron - select a good quality saffron which is as red as possible and has as fewer "styles" (yellow threads) as possible.

• 400ml (about 370g) basmati rice - if you don't have basmati rice you could substitute a good quality long gained white rice or jasmine rice. You do not need to rinse the rice before cooking. This rice recipe uses the evaporation method to produce perfect cooked rice.

• About 1 tablespoon olive oil - to lightly cook the onion and garlic before adding the other ingredients. Here I have use extra virgen olive oil for its flavour.

• Vegetable stock - made using 700ml water

• 100ml warm water - to add to the saffron threads before adding to the other ingredients.

How to make saffron rice

Lightly crush the saffron threads between your fingers and place in a small bowl.

Heat 100ml water until it is hand hot and pour over the saffron threads. This is known as "steeping" and will help to bring out the flavour and colour of the saffron. Cover and set aside until you are ready to add to the other ingredients.

Finely chop the onion and garlic.

Heat a dash of olive oil in a saucepan and gently cook the onion and garlic for a few minutes until soft.

Add the rice and saffron (including the water that it had been soaking in) to the pan with the onion and garlic.

Add 700ml vegetable stock to the pan and stir. Place the lid on the pan and gently bring to the boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for 20 minutes without removing stirring and without removing the lid.

The rice will cook by the evaporation method which I find is the best way to cook rice as it produces perfect, fluffy rice. By using double the volume of liquid to rice (700ml vegetable stock and the 100ml used to soak the saffron threads) you will cook the rice in exactly the right amount of liquid. There is no need to stir the rice or drain off any excess liquid.

Remove from the heat after 20 minutes. Fluff up with a fork and your saffron rice is now ready to serve.

How to serve saffron rice

• Saffron rice can be served either hot or cold.
• It can be served alongside main meals such as falafel.
• This yellow rice makes a tasty accompaniment to savoury dishes such as mushroom and leek quiche, spanakopita or sweet pepper and fennel tart.
• It can be enjoyed alongside a variety of salads.
• It can also be mixed with other ingredients to form a filling for stuffed vegetables such as stuffed peppers.

How to store

• Saffron rice can be covered and stored in the fridge for around 3 days.
• It can also be frozen. The frozen rice can be defrosted at room temperature or at half power in a microwave.

Tips

1. Other ingredients can be added to the cooked saffron rice such as flaked almonds, pine nuts, raisins, pistachios or chopped dried apricots.
2. A tiny pinch of turmeric could be added to the rice before cooking for a stronger coloured yellow rice.
3. Remember to steep the saffron in water before cooking so that the colour and flavour permeate throughout the whole pan of rice.
4. The cooked rice can be reheated in a microwave or in a covered heatproof bowl in the oven.

Recipes to pair with saffron rice