Sweet Yellow Saffron Rice is a delicate, delicious, slightly decadent side dish; equally suitable for a cozy night at home or a celebratory gathering of friends and family.
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A while back, I shared one of my favorites Indian recipes – Indian {Pickling Style} Eggplant – inspired and adapted from a recipe in Madhur Jaffney’s classic, Indian Cooking. This recipe for Sweet Yellow Saffron Rice is another favorite adapted from the same source.
At our house, Sweet Saffron Rice is usually reserved for special occasions due to the pricey nature of saffron, and everyone I’ve ever served it to immediately falls in love with it.
Saffron, as you probably know, is arguably the most expensive spice in the world. Saffron comes from the crocus sativus plant, and is incredibly labor intensive to produce. Each saffron flower only has three threads, or “stigmas,” and each stigma must be hand-harvested. It takes over 13,000 stigmas to make one ounce of saffron threads.
Where to Buy Saffron
When buying saffron, you need to be especially concerned about where (and from whom) it is sourced. High-quality saffron is produced primarily in Spain, India, Iran and some Pennsylvania Amish communities; however, there is also a lot of “fake” saffron out there, enticing consumers with too-good-to-be-true prices. Essentially shredded bark, the flavor and aroma of this knock-off stuff doesn’t hold a candle to the real thing. (Nothing does.) Be safe and only purchase your saffron from reputable, fair-trade spice dealers.
Even when purchasing high-quality, legitimate saffron, there’s also the whole question of finding a product that is responsibly grown, sustainable, and ethically sourced. Saffron is one of the few crops in the world that must still be hand-harvested, and historically, that work has been done by child laborers. Ethical saffron costs more, but the flavor is a lot sweeter, if you know what I mean.
Currently, I purchase my saffron from The Savory Spice Shop in Portland’s Sellwood District, most recently to the tune of $13 a gram. I can make three or four batches of Saffron Rice from one gram of saffron threads.
Is there any substitute for Saffron?
So, right about now you may asking, “Can I substitute anything else for the saffron?” The long answer is Maybe. Some people find that, for everyday eating, turmeric makes an acceptable replacement in this dish. That said, the short answer (and my answer) is No.
No.
That’s all I’m gonna say about that.
Sweet Saffron Rice is an easy, straightforward recipe, and results in a delicate, delicious, slightly decadent side dish. Its light, slightly sweet flavor-profile acts as a nice counterpoint to all kinds of savory dishes.
Sweet Yellow Saffron Rice
Ingredients
- 1/2 tsp saffron threads
- 2 Tbs warm milk
- 1 1/2 cup basmati rice
- 2 Tbs ghee or clarified butter
- 8-10 whole cardamon pods
- 1 2- inch cinnamon stick
- 3 cups water
- 4 Tbs sugar
- 1/3 cup golden raisins
- 1/3 cup slivered almonds
Instructions
- Heat milk in a small bowl until it is steaming. Sprinkle the saffron threads into the hot milk and allow to soak for a couple of hours. (For deeper flavor, you can toast them in a dry skillet for a few seconds first, until they become a little deeper red, but be careful - that is spice-gold you're playing with there!)
- Wash the rice several times, until water runs clear.
- Drain and then soak the rice in water for 30 minutes. Drain for 20 minutes. (I have, on occasion, done this all in 10 minutes.)
- Heat the ghee or clarified butter in a large skillet over medium heat. If you are using whole spices, add them at this time and saute for about 30 seconds.
- Add the rice and saute gently for 3 minutes.
- Add 3 cups of water and the salt. Gently stir rice and cook until all the water is absorbed.
- Stir in the saffron milk, dried fruits and/or nuts, ground spices, and sugar.
- Cover very tightly, and put into a 325° degree oven for 25 minutes. (Or 300° for 30 minutes, or 350° for 20 minutes, depending on what else you are cooking.)
- Remove any whole spices before serving.
Nutrition
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