I could probably eat rice for every meal, and never get tired of it – even white rice made with nothing else but water. But while that may be possible, it is so nice to mix up the side dishes to my quick dinners to add extra pops of flavor. I have made variations of this Saffron Rice with Dried Fruit for years, and never actually documented it, so I thought that now is the time to share it with you!
The ingredient list may look a bit lengthy, but most of the items are spices you likely already have in your kitchen. This rice gets a lovely earthiness from saffron and turmeric, warmth from the cinnamon and cumin, and a beautiful sweetness from the dried fruit added in. It is well balanced, and absolutely delicious even served on it’s own. I love to use a combination of raisins and dried dates, but you could add other fruit if you wanted such as dried apricots. Usually it’s some combination of whatever I have laying around. There is no need to stir the fruit into the rice before letting it cook as it will all rise to the top anyway. Just sprinkle on and cover, and stir it altogether when it is finished. It is also easily made vegan by replacing the butter with vegan butter or some oil.
I’ve mostly made this rice as a side dish to pork or salmon dishes, and if you wanted any suggestions, give some of the recipes below a try:
- Pork Tenderloin with Cilantro Date Relish
- Pork Tenderloin with Raspberry Chipotle Sauce
- Honey Orange Glazed Salmon
Saffron Rice with Dried Fruit
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp Butter
- 1/2 Yellow onion chopped
- 1/8 tsp Saffron, ground about 5 threads
- 1/4 tsp Cumin
- 1/8 tsp Cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1/4 tsp Black pepper
- 1/4 tsp Turmeric
- 1 Bay leaf
- 1 Cup White rice
- 1 1/2 Cups Water
- 1/2 Cup Dried fruit (raisins, golden raisins, dates)
Instructions
- In a saucepan, add butter and heat over medium heat. Add chopped onion and cook for 4-5 minutes until softened. Add all the spices and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add rice and cook, stirring for about 2 minutes. Add water.
- Bring to a boil, add dried fruit on top, cover, and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes. Then remove from heat, and let sit (without lifting lid) for 10 additional minutes. Fluff before serving.
