Sour Cherry and Saffron Crispy Rice
Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users
I have been obsessed with this Persian rice dish since the first time I tried it several years ago. It is tart, sweet, buttery, and has the most gorgeous depth of flavor – not to mention the stunning color. It's pink, it's yellow, and golden. It's a true showstopper. I have always wanted to try and make it myself, so when I saw sour cherries at the market, it was the only thing I wanted to do with them. This rice is typically served on special occasions, but it was such a crowd pleaser and pretty easy to put together, so I am all for eating it anytime of the year/any night of the week :)
Pro tip: I bought a ton of sour cherries at the market – more than needed for the recipe! – so, I pitted all of them and froze what I didn't use. I would highly recommend doing the same since the season is so short (June-July is peak sour cherry season!) I will 100% be reaching for those during the year to make this dish again. Also, if you can't find sour cherries at the market, you can usually find them at many food specialty stores.
Can't wait to hear what you think of this one! I would highly recommend serving it with either one of these Ido's chicken kebabs, Lemon and Honey Roasted Chicken, Lamb Chops with Chimichurri, or Charred Whole Eggplant. Delish.
Ingredients
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1 1/2 cups Sour Cherries, pitted
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1/4 heaping cup granulated sugar
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2 cups basmati rice, rinsed 3 times until water runs clear
- 3-4 tablespoons kosher salt
- Pinch of saffron, stepped in ice water
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup toasted sliced almonds
- Sweetened sour cherries – use the entire amount from the recipe above
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2 tablespoons full-fat yogurt
- 1 cup of the cooked basmati rice
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil- I like refined avocado oil for this
- 1 tablespoon steeped saffron water, from the saffron water
sweetened sour cherries
rice
crunchy rice base
Directions
Place the pitted cherries in a pan with the 1/4 cup of sugar and bring to a boil. Turn down to a simmer and let cook until the sugar has dissolved and the sauce has formed, around 5 minutes. Keep to the side to cool while you boil the rice and make the saffron water.
In a mortar and pestle, add the pinch of saffron and grind into a fine powder. Add a cup of ice and let it melt slowly on the side.
- Heat up 12 cups of water in a large pot. Season generously with kosher salt, around 3-4 tablespoons. Bring to a boil. Rinse the rice 3 times until the water runs clear, and when the water is boiling, add the rinsed rice. Let simmer for around 5 minutes. You want the rice to be al dente. Strain and keep to the side.
- Make the crunchy top. In a bowl, add 1 cup of the cooked rice, 2 tablespoons of the yogurt, 2 tablespoons of neutral oil, and 1 tablespoon of the saffron water. Mix and then spread out onto the 9-inch stainless steel frying pan. Pour over the rest of the rice and spread out. Cover with the saffron water, the sweetened cherries, and all the sauce, and then dollop on the butter. Cover with a lid and place the pan on the stove. Bring to a medium heat and let cook for around 20-30 minutes covered. This keeps the rice fluffy and steaming. Check underneath to see if there is a golden color on the bottom with a spatula. Once the rice is cooked through and fluffed up on top and the bottom is golden, remove from the stove and serve. You can try to flip it and keep the top in one piece, or you can just break it in like I did in the video and get all those chunky bits. Enjoy!