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A plate with saffron rice garnished with pomegranate seeds, parsley and nuts.
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5 from 1 vote

How to Make Saffron Rice (Middle Eastern Recipe)

This Middle Eastern-style Saffron Rice recipe is delicious, fragrant, and incredibly versatile. It pairs well with many of my other recipes (stews, grilled proteins, and fish). Best of all, it comes together in less than 30 minutes, and most of the time is inactive!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Levantine, Middle Eastern
Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian
Servings: 4 people
Author: Luay Ghafari
Cost: $10

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups Basmati rice
  • 2 ½ cups Cold water - See note
  • 1 Pinch of saffron
  • 1 tsp Kosher salt
  • 1 tbsp Butter - Optional

Instructions

  • Rinse the rice. Place your rice in the pot and run it through clear, cold water a few times until the water runs clear. Usually, 3 or 4 rinses do the trick. Alternatively, you can add the rice to a sieve and wash it under cold water for a minute.
  • Soak. To the rinsed rice, add the water, saffron, salt, and butter. Let the rice soak for 15-30 minutes.
  • Cook. Bring the pot to a boil, cover with a tight-fitting lid, turn the heat down to the lowest possible setting and steam for 20 minutes.
  • Rest and Serve. Once fully steamed, let the rice rest covered for 5 minutes so that the residual heat can dry it completely. Gently fluff it up with a fork. Serve it with your favorite stews, grilled vegetables or meat. You can garnish the rice with nuts, parsley and pomegranate seeds.

Video

Notes

Refer to the post above for step-by-step recipe photos.
Ingredient notes:
  • Rice: Basmati rice is my preferred type of rice. It is fragrant, tender when cooked and doesn’t clump like other more glutenous rice options. You can also use another variety such as Calrose or Egyptian.
  • Saffron: The world’s most expensive spice by weight. The good news is that you only need a pinch! Use high-quality saffron threads from Spain or Iran for their unique flavor. Saffron is sold in small bags or plastic containers (usually 0.5 or 1 gram).
  • Cooking liquid: Water helps preserve the taste of the rice and saffron, but if you wanted to, you could use chicken broth or vegetable broth for added flavor. Refer to your rice package for water ratio recommendations. 
  • Butter: The butter is optional, but recommended. It helps add richness to the rice and offsets the floral notes from the saffron.
 
Enjoy it with my grilled chicken kofta, beef kofta, or chicken shish tawook.

Nutrition

Calories: 267kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 619mg | Potassium: 82mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 1mg