Yield: 6 Servings
Measure | Ingredient |
---|---|
1 tablespoon | Butter |
2 tablespoons | Olive oil |
1 \N | Onion; chopped |
3 \N | Cloves garlic; minced |
1 \N | Dried red chile; seeded and finely minced |
½ teaspoon | Cumin seeds; crushed |
2 \N | Cardamom pods; seeds removed and finely crushed |
½ teaspoon | Ground ginger |
½ teaspoon | Saffron |
4½ cup | Chicken stock; warmed |
2 cups | Long-grain rice |
1 \N | Cinnamon stick |
1 \N | Bay leaf |
¼ cup | Dried currants |
12 smalls | Whole dried apricots; cut in quarters |
¾ teaspoon | ;salt (optional) |
½ cup | Unblanched almonds |
3 tablespoons | Pine nuts |
½ cup | Unsalted pistachio nuts; shelled |
\N \N | Black pepper to taste |
3 tablespoons | Fresh coriander leaves; torn |
In a large saucepan, melt the butter and olive oil over low heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until softened about 4 minutes stirring frequently. Increase the heat a little and add the chile, cumin seeds, cardamom, and ginger. Cook, stirring, about 2 minutes until it is fragrant. Add the saffron and chicken stock, mix well and remove from the heat. Cover and let the saffron flavor the stock for 5 minutes or so.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bring the stock to a simmer over moderate heat. Stir in the rice, cinnamon, bay leaf, currants, apricots and the salt. Return to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for another 15 to 16 minutes. If the rice is too wet cook a little longer.
Meanwhile, place the almonds and pine nuts on a baking sheet and toast them in the oven for 3 to 4 minutes until lightly golden. Add the pistachios and toast for another minute. Remove from oven and put on a plate to cool.
Uncover the rice and using a fork stir to fluff. Season with additional salt and black pepper to taste. Add the nuts and toss it together. Sprinkle the coriander on top and serve.
Judi's Notes: I made this dish using 1 cup of orange juice for one cup of the chicken broth. My friend Marilyn would scold me if she only knew, but it did give it a very good flavor. I also included ¼ tsp. of turmeric with the other spices which enhanced the dish nicely and gave it a lovely color too. This is great with lamb kebabs, warmed pita bread, a nice middle eastern cucumber salad, and a Persian pastry for dessert.
Shared and MM by Judi M. Phelps. jphelps@... or jphelps@...