From Bahrain and very apt - this is aromatic, sublime and gorgeous! I found this in one of my Middle Eastern recipe books called Crazy Water Pickled Lemons. The recipe was named after pearl divers who discovered they could dive more often with fewer ill-effects if they had eaten something sweet and carbohydrate rich. The original recipe was apparently sweeter and richer still.
228g basmati rice (8oz)
2.5 ml saffron threads (1/2 teaspoon) - steeped in 30mls hot water (about 2 tablespoons)
15ml rose water (1 tbsp) ... available in supermarkets now or chemists.
3 cardamom pods crushed
60ml runny honey (4 tbsp)
75g butter (3 oz approx)
60ml olive oil (4 tbsp)
salt and black pepper.
Wash the rice until the water stays clear then soak it for 2 hours.
Mix the saffron with the rose water and cardamom and let the flavours infuse
Then ...
Bring a pan of water to the boil and add the rice and boil for about 4 or 5 mins to just soften the outer grain of the rice.
Drain the half cooked rice and rinse with warm water to remove any residue starch.
Stir the honey into the warm rice.
Heat the oil and butter in a pan (with a lid) and when sizzling add the rice and allow it to cook for a couple of minutes. Add the saffron, rose water and cardamom mixture, salt and pepper to taste. Stir it all up. Put the lid on tightly, turn down the heat and allow to cook for a further 15 minutes (just time to slip down a vodka with lime and ice, ice baby
).
There will be crusty bits of rice left on the bottom of the pan but that's part of the deal.
Serve with something grilled
228g basmati rice (8oz)
2.5 ml saffron threads (1/2 teaspoon) - steeped in 30mls hot water (about 2 tablespoons)
15ml rose water (1 tbsp) ... available in supermarkets now or chemists.
3 cardamom pods crushed
60ml runny honey (4 tbsp)
75g butter (3 oz approx)
60ml olive oil (4 tbsp)
salt and black pepper.
Wash the rice until the water stays clear then soak it for 2 hours.
Mix the saffron with the rose water and cardamom and let the flavours infuse
Then ...
Bring a pan of water to the boil and add the rice and boil for about 4 or 5 mins to just soften the outer grain of the rice.
Drain the half cooked rice and rinse with warm water to remove any residue starch.
Stir the honey into the warm rice.
Heat the oil and butter in a pan (with a lid) and when sizzling add the rice and allow it to cook for a couple of minutes. Add the saffron, rose water and cardamom mixture, salt and pepper to taste. Stir it all up. Put the lid on tightly, turn down the heat and allow to cook for a further 15 minutes (just time to slip down a vodka with lime and ice, ice baby
).There will be crusty bits of rice left on the bottom of the pan but that's part of the deal.
Serve with something grilled
