Authentic Persian Jeweled Rice And Saffron Chicken
Jeweled Rice
Named for its gem stone colours, a great dish for the holiday season
Saffron Marinated Chicken
A simple and flavourful dish, marinated in spices, saffron and yogurt.
What to Prep in Advance
Wash rice in a colander until water runs clear
To remove the bitterness from orange peel, drop orange peel in a pot with boiling water and cook for 1 minute and rinse, repeat this 2 more times.
Have your ingredients measured out and ready to go
Kitchen equipment
Large mixing bowl to mix chicken with marinade
Large sauté pan to cook chicken
Large pot to cook rice
Colander
Med fry pan
Clean dishtowel
Parchment Paper
2 Small bowls
1 small pot or fry pan
Large serving platter to hold rice and chicken
Authentic Persian Jeweled Rice with Saffron Chicken
Servings
4
Prep Time
20 minutes
Recipe courtesy of Leila Nabizadeh and In My Kitchen Inc.
Ingredients
3 C long white basmati rice
½ C barberries
¼ C sliced raw almonds
¼ C sliced raw pistachio
½ C golden raisins
2 lg orange peeled (sliver the peels)
2 lg carrots, cut and in 2 inch thin strips
¼ C rose water
1 C oil, butter or ghee (divided in 2, ½ cup)
1 tsp of saffron brew
To make the brew:
1 tsp crumbled saffron dissolved in1/4 C hot water (crumble threads in hand or with a pestle and mortar) This will keep for up to a week in your fridge.
1 tsp cardamom
1 tsp cinnamon
2 Tbsp plus ½ C sugar
Salt to taste
Water for boiling the rice (to fill 2/3 of your pot)
3 Tbsp olive oil
- 4-5 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced ( more garlic makes it more delicious)
4 pieces chicken, breasts and thighs (boneless and skinless)
1 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt, or more to taste
1/2 tsp pepper
1 or 2 fresh limes (or lemons), juiced
2 Tbsp of brewed saffron (or more)
- ½ C Greek yoghurt
3-4 Persian Cucumber (mini cucumbers will work too)
3-4 Tomatoes
Juice of a lemon
1/2 of a small onion
Jeweled Rice
Saffron Chicken
Simple Shirazi Salad
Directions
Marinade the chicken pieces with all the ingredients except cinnamon, for 1 hour or more in the fridge.
Fry chicken pieces in the pan for 10-15 minutes, you can add a little bit of butter.
Let the chickens cook for another 15 min.
Remove the lid and let the water evaporate a little.
Towards the end add cinnamon
And just before serving it you can add the pistachio slivers.
Jeweled Rice
Wash the rice until the water is clear, in a large non stick pot fill 2/3 of your pot with water and bring to the boil, add 2-3 Tbsp of salt and bring back to a boil, add the rice.
Let rice boil for 5-7 minutes or until the rice grains are coming to the surface, then drain the rice and rinse with cold water.
If you are not using a non-stick pan, take a piece of parchment paper that will fit in the bottom of your pot. Scrunch it up in a ball and then open it up and place it on the bottom of your pot (do this step if you want to have Tahdig - the crispy rice on the bottom of your rice).
At the bottom of the pot (or on top of your parchment) add 1-2 Tbsp of oil, butter or even better Ghee (clarified butter), 2 Tbsp from your saffron brew and ¼ cup water, place the rice on top of the mixture, wrap the lid of the pot with a dish towel and cover the pot with the lid and let cook for 3-5 mins at medium heat and then lower to low and cook for 60 min.
You need to keep an eye on your rice, don't be afraid to check it, if it is starting to look dry add 1/4 C of water. The longer the rice can steam at a low heat the better chance for your Tahdig.
While the rice is cooking, soak pistachio and almond in rose water and set aside.
To remove the bitterness from orange peel, drop orange peel in a pot with boiling water and cook for 1 minute and rinse, repeat this 2 more time (to save the time, you can do this step a day ahead and store your orange peel in container in the fridge)
Heat 2 Tbsp of oil in a pan or small pot and fry carrot and orange peel, add cinnamon and cardamom and ½ C of sugar a drop of saffron.
Add ¼ C of water and cook over medium heat for 7-10 minutes.
Heat one Tbsp of oil in another small pan and add pistachio and almond fry for 30 sec and add raisins give it another stir, transfer to a bowl.
In the same pot add 1Tbsp oil, 2 Tbsp sugar and 2 Tbsp of water, add the barberries, let it cook for 5 minutes on medium/low heat and then set it aside.
When the rice is cooked remove it from the heat and let it cool for 3 minutes.
Choose a big serving platter, taking 1 spatula of rice at a time, place it on the serving platter in alternating layers with all the nuts and fruits mixture.
There are different ways to present this meal. Leila will show you some options in your upcoming cooking class.
Simple Shirazi Salad
Chop your cucumber, tomato and onion into small pieces and add to your salad bowl.
Squeeze lemon juice on vegetables and add 2-3 Tbsp of olive oil, season to taste mix and serve at the same time as the rice and chicken.
- Heat 2 Tbsp of oil in a pan or small pot and fry carrot and orange peel, add cinnamon and cardamom and ½ C of sugar a drop of saffron.
Add ¼ C of water and cook over medium heat for 7-10 minutes.
Recipe Note
Paula Note: If you would like to make the saffron chicken without the Jeweled rice, there is an option to add some barberries and pistachios to the chicken at the end with the cinnamon. If you do not have the time to make the jeweled rice, you can use this recipe for Persian rice with Tahdig (crispy bottom), omit the toppings (nuts, berries, raisins, carrots, orange peel). Follow Leila's instructions to obtain the Tahdig.
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These recipes are intended for the participants of this cooking class.