I have a very special post for you today. My friend Faith Gorsky from An Edible Mosaic just had her first cookbook released: An Edible Mosaic: Middle Eastern Fare with Extraordinary Flair. I’m excited to be participating in her virtual book launch party and sharing a recipe from the book!
Before I speak to you about the book, I want to speak about the person behind it, because, for me, this is even more important! I met Faith through blogging a few years ago and I got to appreciate not only her beautiful recipes, but also her beautiful character. She is a very honest, always helpful and trustworthy person, who is doing her first step towards her dream. I am very happy to be a part of this adventure and present to you a recipe from her new book. I haven’t received my copy yet, but once I do, you will hear more about it and about the recipes in it! So hang in there and let’s have a look at Faith’s bio and a beautiful recipe she shares with us!
The book has over 100 Middle Eastern recipes, with a focus mainly on dishes from the Levant, but also a few recipes from other areas of the Middle East. Faith has a pretty unique story…after getting married Faith spent six months living in the Middle East, where she fell in love with the culture and cuisine. Subsequently, she returned four more times for visits, each time delving deeper into the cuisine and deepening her passion for and appreciation of the region. Recipes in her book are authentic Middle Eastern (taught to Faith mostly by her mother-in-law, Sahar), but streamlined just a bit for the way we cook today, with unique ingredients demystified and cooking techniques anyone can follow. If you didn’t grow up eating Middle Eastern food, it can be a difficult art to master; Faith understands that, and explains complicated dishes in an approachable, easy-to-follow way. The book is available to order on Amazon and Barnes & Noble!
After you check out the recipe below, please head over to Faith’s blog to check out her virtual book launch party to see the other bloggers who are participating. Also, as part of her virtual book launch, Faith is hosting a giveaway of a fabulous set of prizes. Be sure to head over and enter!
The recipe from the book that I’m sharing with you today is for Saffron Rice with Golden Raisins and Pine Nuts, along with a variation for Mixed White and Yellow Rice. The recipe is actually vegan so you won’t have any trouble incorporating it into a vegan or vegetarian meal, but it is just as delicious served with chicken, beef, lamb, or seafood, and it would be really fantastic with just about any curry dish. (In the cookbook, Faith recommends pairing Shrimp in Aromatic Tomato Sauce with this rice dish.)
Saffron Rice with Golden Raisins and Pine Nuts
ROZ MLOW’WAN
Recipe courtesy of An Edible Mosaic: Middle Eastern Fare with Extraordinary Flair by Faith Gorsky (Tuttle Publishing; Nov. 2012); reprinted with permission.
Serves 4 to 6
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes, plus 15 minutes to let the rice sit after cooking
Ingredients
1½ cups (325 g) basmati rice, rinsed
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons pine nuts
1 onion, finely diced
4 tablespoons sultanas (golden raisins)
1¾ cups (425 ml) boiling water
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon saffron threads (or ½ teaspoon turmeric)
Instructions
- Soak the rice in tepid water for 10 minutes; drain. While the rice is soaking, put half a kettle of water on to boil.
- Add the oil to a medium, thick-bottomed lidded saucepan over medium heat. Add the pine nuts and cook until golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Transfer the pine nuts to a small bowl and set aside.
- Add the onion to the saucepan you cooked the pine nuts in, and cook until softened and just starting to brown, about 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the rice and cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the sultanas, boiling water, salt, and saffron (or turmeric), turn the heat up to high, and bring it to a rolling boil.
- Give the rice a stir, then cover the saucepan, turn the heat down to very low, and cook until tender, about 10 minutes (do not open the lid during this time). Turn the heat off and let the rice sit (covered) 15 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
- Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle the toasted pine nuts on top; serve.
OPTIONAL Add two pods of cardamom, two whole cloves, and one 2-inch (5 cm) piece of cinnamon stick at the same time that you add the rice.
VARIATION
Mixed White and Yellow Rice
Serves 4 to 6
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes, plus 15 minutes to let the rice sit after cooking
Ingredients
1½ cups (325 g) uncooked basmati rice, rinsed
2 tablespoons oil
1 onion, finely diced
1 bay leaf
2 whole cloves
2 pods cardamom, cracked open
2 whole peppercorns
¾ teaspoon salt
1¾ cups (425 ml) boiling water
1-2 pinches saffron threads or ½ teaspoon turmeric dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot water
Instructions
- Soak the rice in tepid water for 10 minutes; drain. While the rice is soaking, put half a kettle of water on to boil.
- Add the oil to a medium, thick-bottomed lidded saucepan, cover and place over moderately high heat. Once hot, add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the rice, bay leaf, cloves, cardamom pods, peppercorns, and salt, and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the boiling water to the rice, turn heat up to high, and bring it to a rolling boil. Give it a stir, cover the pot, turn heat down to very low, and cook 10 minutes (don’t open the lid during this time).
- After the rice is cooked, let the pot sit with the lid on for 15 minutes, then fluff the rice with a fork. Transfer 1/3 of the rice to a separate bowl.
- Stir the saffron or turmeric-colored water into 1/3 of the rice (the rice will turn yellow). Mix together the yellow rice and white rice; serve.
- 1½ cups (325 g) basmati rice, rinsed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons pine nuts
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 4 tablespoons sultanas (golden raisins)
- 1¾ cups (425 ml) boiling water
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon saffron threads (or ½ teaspoon turmeric)
- 1½ cups (325 g) uncooked basmati rice, rinsed
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 whole cloves
- 2 pods cardamom, cracked open
- 2 whole peppercorns
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1¾ cups (425 ml) boiling water
- 1-2 pinches saffron threads or ½ teaspoon turmeric dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot water
- Soak the rice in tepid water for 10 minutes; drain. While the rice is soaking, put half a kettle of water on to boil.
- Add the oil to a medium, thick-bottomed lidded saucepan over medium heat. Add the pine nuts and cook until golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Transfer the pine nuts to a small bowl and set aside.
- Add the onion to the saucepan you cooked the pine nuts in, and cook until softened and just starting to brown, about 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the rice and cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the sultanas, boiling water, salt, and saffron (or turmeric), turn the heat up to high, and bring it to a rolling boil.
- Give the rice a stir, then cover the saucepan, turn the heat down to very low, and cook until tender, about 10 minutes (do not open the lid during this time). Turn the heat off and let the rice sit (covered) 15 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
- Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle the toasted pine nuts on top; serve.
- OPTIONAL Add two pods of cardamom, two whole cloves, and one 2-inch (5 cm) piece of cinnamon stick at the same time that you add the rice.
- Soak the rice in tepid water for 10 minutes; drain. While the rice is soaking, put half a kettle of water on to boil.
- Add the oil to a medium, thick-bottomed lidded saucepan, cover and place over moderately high heat. Once hot, add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the rice, bay leaf, cloves, cardamom pods, peppercorns, and salt, and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the boiling water to the rice, turn heat up to high, and bring it to a rolling boil. Give it a stir, cover the pot, turn heat down to very low, and cook 10 minutes (don’t open the lid during this time).
- After the rice is cooked, let the pot sit with the lid on for 15 minutes, then fluff the rice with a fork. Transfer ⅓ of the rice to a separate bowl.
- Stir the saffron or turmeric-colored water into ⅓ of the rice (the rice will turn yellow). Mix together the yellow rice and white rice; serve.
- 1½ φλ. ρύζι μπασμάτι (325 g), που το έχουμε ξεπλύνει
- 2 κ.σ. ελαιόλαδο
- 3 κ.σ. κουκουνάρια
- 1 κρεμμύδι, ψιλοκομμένο
- 4 κ.σ. σταφίδες ξανθές
- 1¾ φλ. (425 ml) βραστό νερό
- ¾ κ.γ. αλάτι
- ½ κ.γ. σαφράν νήματα (ή ½ κουταλάκι κουρκουμά)
- Μουσκέψτε το ρύζι σε χλιαρό νερό για δέκα λεπτά.
- Στραγγίστε.
- Ενώ το ρύζι μουσκεύει, βάλτε σε μια κατσαρόλα 3 φλυτζάνια νερό για να βράσει.
- Σε μία άλλη κατσαρόλα προσθέστε το λάδι σε μέτρια φωτιά.
- Βάλτε τα κουκουνάρια και μαγειρέψτε μέχρι να ροδίσουν, περίπου 1 έως 2 λεπτά, ανακατεύοντας συνεχώς.
- Μεταφέρετε τα κουκουνάρια σε ένα μπολάκι και αφήστε στην άκρη.
- Προσθέστε το κρεμμύδι στην κατσαρόλα που φτιάξατε τα κουκουνάρια και μαγειρέψτε μέχρι να μαλακώσουν και να αρχίσουν να παίρνουν χρώμα, περίπου 5 έως 7 λεπτά, ανακατεύοντας κατά διαστήματα.
- Προσθέστε το ρύζι και μαγειρέψτε 2 λεπτά, ανακατεύοντας συχνά.
- Ρίξτε μέσα τη σουλτανίνα, το βραστό νερό, το αλάτι, και το σαφράν (ή κουρκουμά), γυρίστε τη θερμοκρασία στο υψηλό και βράστε.
- Ανακατέψτε μια τελευταία φορά, καλύψτε την κατσαρόλα με το καπάκι, χαμηλώστε τη φωτιά στο χαμηλό και μαγειρέψτε μέχρι να γίνει, περίπου 10 λεπτά (μην ανοίγετε το κάλυμμα κατά τη διάρκεια του μαγειρέματος).
- Κατεβάστε από τη φωτιά και αφήστε το να καθίσει 15 λεπτά, στη συνέχεια, ανακατέψτε το με ένα πιρούνι να αφρατέψει.
- Αδειάστε σε μια πιατέλα και ρίξτε το καβουρδισμένο κουκουνάρι από πάνω.
- Σερβίρετε.
- ΠΡΟΑΙΡΕΤΙΚΑ μπορείτε να προσθέσετε δύο λοβούς κάρδαμο, δύο ολόκληρα γαρίφαλα, και ένα κομμάτι ξύλο κανέλας κατά το βράσιμο.
- 1½ φλ. (325 g) basmati ρύζι, ξεπλυμένο
- 2 κ.σ. λάδι
- 1 κρεμμύδι, ψιλοκομμένο
- 1 φύλλο δάφνης
- 2 ολόκληρα γαρίφαλα
- 2 λοβούς κάρδαμο, ραγισμένα ανοικτά
- 2 ολόκληρους κόκκους πιπεριού
- ¾ κ.γ. αλάτι
- 1¾ φλ. (425 ml) βραστό νερό
- 1-2 πρέζες σαφράν νήματα ή ½ κουταλάκι κουρκουμά διαλυμένο σε 1 κουταλιά της σούπας ζεστό νερό
- Μουσκέψτε το ρύζι σε χλιαρό νερό για δέκα λεπτά.
- Στραγγίστε.
- Ενώ το ρύζι μουσκεύει, βάλτε σε μια κατσαρόλα 3 φλυτζάνια νερό για να βράσει.
- Προσθέστε το κρεμμύδι σε μία κατσαρόλα με λίγο λάδι και μαγειρέψτε μέχρι να μαλακώσουν και να αρχίσουν να παίρνουν χρώμα, περίπου 5, ανακατεύοντας κατά διαστήματα.
- Προσθέστε το ρύζι, το φύλλο δάφνης, το γαρίφαλο, το κάρδαμο, το πιπέρι, και το αλάτι, και μαγειρέψτε μέχρι να βγάλουν τα αρώματά τους, περίπου 2 λεπτά, ανακατεύοντας συχνά.
- Προσθέστε το ρύζι και το βραστό νερό, χαμηλώστε τη φωτιά στο χαμηλό και αφήστε το να βράζει.
- Ανακατέψτε μια τελευταία φορά, καλύψτε την κατσαρόλα με το καπάκι, χαμηλώστε τη φωτιά στο χαμηλό και μαγειρέψτε μέχρι να γίνει, περίπου 10 λεπτά (μην ανοίγετε το κάλυμμα κατά τη διάρκεια του μαγειρέματος).
- Μόλις γίνει το ρύζι αφήστε την κατσαρόλα με το καπάκι για 15 λεπτά, στη συνέχεια, ανακατέψτε το ρύζι με πιρούνι.
- Μεταφέρετε το ⅓ του ρυζιού σε ένα ξεχωριστό μπολ.
- Ανακατέψτε το σαφράν ή τον κουρκουμά στο ⅓ του ρυζιού να κιτρινίσει.
- Ανακατέψτε το κίτρινο ρύζι και λευκό ρύζι.
- Σερβίρετε.
