Pereg's Jeweled Rice
Servings 4-6 people
Prep Time 15 minutes (plus soaking time for the rice)
Cook Time 60 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 cups Pereg brown rice
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 diced yellow onion
- 2 diced carrots
- 3/4 tsp Pereg cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp Pereg ground cardamom
- 1 1/2 tsp Pereg coriander
- 1 orange, organic preferred
- 1/2 cup dried sour cherries
- 1/2 cup golden raisins
- 1/2 tsp saffron threads
- 1/2 cup raw pistachios
- 1/2 cup pine nuts
- 1 pomegranate, seeds removed
- 1/2 bunch fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Soak rice overnight or at least 1 hour.
- Drain off soaking water and rinse rice. Par-boil: Place in saucepan and cover with water 1” above rice. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook until al dente, 20 minutes. Strain and set aside.
- Using a vegetable peeler, peel the rind off of the orange, leaving behind as much of the white pith as possible. Slice peel into thin strips.
- In a mortar and pestle, combine saffron threads with a generous pinch of salt. Grind until it turns into a powder. Place saffron powder in a small bowl and mix with 2 tsp. hot (not boiling) water. Set aside.
- In a large heavy bottomed saucepan, heat olive oil on a medium heat. Add onions and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add carrots and stir. Cook 5 minutes.
- Add cinnamon, cardamom and coriander and stir to coat, cooking 1 minute until toasty and fragrant.
- Add orange peel, cherries, and raisins. Stir to combine.
- Add par-boiled rice, 2 cups water, and saffron mixture. Gently stir. Cover with a lid, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook until rice is tender and water is absorbed, 30-40 minutes.
- While the rice is cooking, toast nuts in a 300 degree F oven or dry skillet. Roughly chop.
- When rice is cooked, stir in 3/4's of the nuts, pomegranate seeds and mint, reserving some for garnish. Serve on a large platter topped off with remaining nuts, mint and pomegranate seeds.