Basmati Rice with Saffron
Saffron rice - an easy way to upgrade regular rice side dish. Just a pinch of saffron magically transforms plain rice into beautiful golden colored rice.
Ingredients
- 1/8 teaspoon saffron threads Note 1
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup basmati rice Note 2
- 1 ½ cups chicken or vegetable stock without salt
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- To bloom the saffron, put saffron threads in a small bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of boiling water and let it steep for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, melt butter in a medium saucepan with a lid over medium-high heat.
- Add rice and cook it for 3-5 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Add stock, salt, and saffron with its water.
- Cover and bring it to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook until all the liquid is absorbed and rice is fully cooked for about 15 minutes. Don’t open the lid while rice is cooking.
- Carefully fluff it with a wooden spoon and serve.
Notes
Note 1: Use high-quality saffron threads, which has a deep red color, without many yellow styles. I like this Afghan saffron and this Spanish one. I don’t recommend saffron powder.
Note 2: While basmati rice work great for this recipe, you can use jasmine rice too.
Nutrition
Calories: 203kcalCarbohydrates: 30.6gProtein: 4.2gFat: 7gCholesterol: 18mgSodium: 424.5mgSugar: 1.7g
* Disclaimer: All nutrition information are estimates only.