Saffron Rice

5 from 20 votes

Saffron rice – fragrant one-pot exotic dish packed full of flavours and aroma. Subtly flavoured, yellow hue savoury rice dish that doesn't require any chopping, sautéing, grinding, means one of the easy and quick saffron recipes that gets ready in 20 minutes.

Prep Time5

Cook Time15

soak time20

Total Time40

Course: rice

Cuisine: Indian

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian

Servings: people

Calories: 66kcal

Author: Geetha

Ingredients

1 Cup = 250ml ; 1 Tablespoon = 15ml ; 1 Teaspoon =15ml

1 Tablespoon (or) 15 gms Butter
1 Bay Leaf
1 Green Cardamom lightly smashed but left whole
1 inch piece Cassia
2 Cloves
1 Teaspoon Cumin
12 Cashewnuts Each broken into half
Salt as required
¼ teaspoon Saffron
3 Tablespoons Water warm
1 cup (or) 215 gms Basmati rice
1 ¼ cup (or) 312.5 ml Water
handful Coriander leaves chopped

Instructions

Rinse and wash rice for 3-4 times under cold running water until water runs clear.
1 cup (or) 215 gms Basmati rice
Soak rice in sufficient water for 20 minutes then drain and keep it aside.
In a small bowl, soak saffron strands in 3 tablespoon warm water.
¼ teaspoon Saffron, 3 Tablespoons Water
Melt butter in a deep bottomed pot or saucepan over medium flame.
1 Tablespoon (or) 15 gms Butter
Put bayleaf, cardamom, cloves, cassia, cumin and fry for few seconds until spices are fragrant.
1 Bay Leaf, 1 Green Cardamom, 1 inch piece Cassia, 2 Cloves, 1 Teaspoon Cumin
Now add cashews and fry for a minute until it starts to turn light brown.
12 Cashewnuts
Add water, salt and stir well. Slightly increase the flame and bring water to rolling boil.
Salt, 1 ¼ cup (or) 312.5 ml Water
Reduce flame slightly, add rice, salt, saffron along with its liquid, boiling water, coriander. Now increase the flame, stir gently and bring it to boil.
handful Coriander leaves
Now reduce heat to lowest possible setting, close the pot with lid and simmer for 10-12 minutes .
Carefully lift the lid, check water has been completely absorbed and rice is cooked well, grains are soft and fluffy. If rice is not cooked then close the lid and simmer for few more minutes.
Turn the flame off, close the pot with lid and let rice sit for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, take the lid off the pot and fluff the rice.
Serve delicious and fragrant saffron rice with any side dish of your choice.

Video

Notes

Cooking time may vary depending on the type of burner you use and your expertise in the kitchen.

Skip cashews for a nut-free option.

For vegan saffron rice, swap oil or vegan butter for regular dairy butter.

Consider using high-quality saffron for the flavourful and best saffron rice.

Grind saffron as much as you can in mortar and pestle and then soak it in warm water. This way you can extract maximum flavours and colour from saffron.

Do not fluff or stir the rice immediately after you switch the flame off. Allow it to sit for 10 minutes with the lid on and then fluff it up gently with a fork. This allows rice to absorb any last drops of water and make rice soft and fluffier.

Nutrition