Rice, Two Delectable Ways

Here are two rice recipes that occur within a page of each other in Claudia Roden's "The New Book of Middle Eastern Food" (Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 2000). I love both of these recipes but particularly "beg" for the first. We have not modified either recipe from the original, except for adjusting the proportions of butter and olive oil in the second. While I am sure that we must have made the first one, at least, for visiting family, I always yearn to share, and thus think about our family when we have it. As always, Michael discovered this book, and these recipes. I just go along for the ride (and the tasting!). Note that the remarks that follow the "serving" size guidelines are directly from the Roden book. I've preserved these remarks, and of course credit her fully for the recipes and the notes, because they add interest and context to the recipes which are already wonderfully exotic.


Roz bel Zafaran
Spiced Saffron Rice
(Trish's favorite, as marked in our copy of Roden's book....)

Serves 6 Yellow rice is a festive, celebratory dish, prepared for its delicate flavor and decorative quality, and in the hope that its color will bring joy and happiness. This spiced version is particularly delicious.

2 cups basmati or long-grain rice
3 cups chicken stock (we make our own and freeze it for use over time, or buy organic stock)
1 teaspoon cardamom seeds (they are rather large, and green. If you are unfamiliar, visit an international , Asian, or Indian market to secure this important ingredient).
6 cloves
3 cinnamon sticks, about 3 inches long
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads (Trader Joe's sells good saffron for a reasonable price)
salt and pepper
4 tablespoons butter or vegetable oil (best if half one and the other)

Rinse the rice in water under the tap until the water runs clear.
In a sauce pan, bring the stock to a boil with the cardamom seeds, cloves, and cinnamon sticks and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the saffron and a little salt and pepper, then pour in the rice. Bring to a boil again and stir well, then lower the heat to a minimum and cook on low heat with the lid on for around 20 minutes. When done, small holes will appear on the surface of the rice, and the rice will be tender.
Stir in the butter, cut into pieces, or the oil (we use both, half and half).
Serve the rice hot, in a mound, or press in a mold and heat through in the oven before turning it out.

(Note: I can't help but mention that you will see how the cinnamon sticks expand and encapsulate some of the rice. The rice that becomes trapped is so intensely flavored, and I always look forward to scooping it out for a solitary delight. Michael is not a fan of those bits, so there is no competition. But you may be surprised when you prepare this with your loved ones at home!).

Sabzi Polow
Rice with herbs

Serves 6 Iranians have a predilection for fresh herbs, which they use in huge quantities. This traditional Iranian New Year's dish consists of rice cooked with a variety of fresh herbs. Their greenness is believed to ensure a happy and "green" year ahead. The herbs are chosen according to individual taste and mood, and to what is available. Favorite Iranian herbs include tarragon, chives, flat-leaf parsley, dill, fenugreek, and cilantro. Choose 3 or 4 or use them all, but try to use fresh ones.

2 cups basmati rice
salt
A huge bunch (2 cups) of mixed herbs, including tarragon, chives, flat-leaf parsley, cilantro, and dill, finely chopped
6 scallions, finely chopped
3 tablespoons butter and 3 tablespoons olive oil

Wash the rice in warm tap water and drain in a collander.
Bring plenty of salted water to a boil. Pour in the rice and boil for around 12 minutes, until the rice is slightly still undercooked. Add the herbs and scallions, then drain off the water at once (by pouring the mixture into a collander that retains the rice and herbs). The herbs will cling to the rice.
In the same pot, heat half the butter and oil. Pour in the (herb-coated) rice, add the remaining butter and olive oil and some salt. Stir gently, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and steam for 15 to 20 minutes over very low heat.

A variation of the above would be to add the herbs at the end, after the rice has been steamed.