Easy Saffron Rice Recipe (2024)

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How to make saffron rice perfectly each time using basmati rice or any rice. Flavored with Indian spices, but, it can be paired with any cuisine. It’s an easy way to bring color to the meal.

“Smiles, Rainbows, and Rice! I could survive on that!” – Anthony T. Hicks

Oh my gosh! I have gone a whole three months without posting rice recipes!

My last rice recipe was spinach rice back in March, so, it feels like an eternity now. You all deserve a delicious new rice recipe, so, here is a super fast saffron rice

Tips for making this rice

Be sure to rinse the basmati rice before you cook it.
My rice recipe is made using basmati rice, but, you can also use long grain white rice too.
The cloves, cinnamon, and cardamom are optional, but, I highly recommend adding them to the rice because they provide a wonderful aroma
Use the saffron you can afford. The (Affiliate Link) Afghan grade of saffron is the best saffron in the world, but, you will have to sell your limbs to buy it. (Affiliate Link) Spanish saffron is the most common variety and is easily available anywhere. That’s what I used in this recipe.
Make sure your cooked rice is still hot when you add the saffron to it. It will easily “stain” the rice and not ruin the flavor
To get a deeper orange color, use extra saffron threads and less hot water
An even better way would be to add saffron threads to warm ghee and mix it with rice

Types of saffron (saffron grades)

Saffron is identified by its grade. Each country has a distinctive color and shape of the saffron. The deeper the red color, the more aromatic it is and consequently, it’s more expensive.

Saffron coming from Persian countries (Afghanistan, Iran, Turkey) is considered to be the best saffron in the world.

Persian saffron is classified into 4 distinct classes

Sargol
Super Negin
Negin
Pushal
Kooshe

Source: Golden Saffron, ZaranSaffron, and my own experiences.

What goes with this rice?

The beauty of saffron rice is that it will be great with almost any recipe you make. It’s a great side dish or even a main course meal.

I serve it with my favorite potato recipe because potatoes and rice are my favorite comfort food! Add naan to it and you will have the most amazing dinner recipe

Some of my favorite curries also go great with This rice. I love serving it with cabbage curry, palak makhani, sweet potato curry, and watermelon curry.

There are some Indians who don’t eat root vegetables during certain times of the year. For those people, I suggest serving saffron rice with an easy vegetable korma (no onion, no garlic). This is a very hearty meal.

How do you plan to use this saffron rice?

Answering Common Questions

Can I freeze this rice?

Yes, you can freeze saffron rice. Place it in a freezer-friendly container and freeze it for no more than 30 days.
Make sure you keep the rice as flat as you can which means that you shouldn’t have clumps. This will make it easier to defrost it and it won’t lose its flavor

Is saffron rice vegan?

Yes, saffron rice by itself is vegan. It’s normally cooked in water, so, no broth is required. But, some chefs have been known to use chicken broth. My recipe is fully vegan. However, if you use ghee instead of water to soak the saffron, it becomes vegetarian.
Check out my complete guide to what vegans eat and don’t eat

How to store saffron?

I always store my saffron in a clear, glass bottle with a tight lid. Also, I always put it far away from direct sunlight or light in general.

I put it in the back of my pantry which never gets any light. Sunlight will degrade the quality of the saffron and it might even stain the container

You will find more interesting rice recipes on my blog like spinach rice and peanut rice.

How to reheat saffron rice?

To microwave it, sprinkle a little on the frozen rice (Do NOT thaw it). It should be no more than 1 Tbsp. Make sure your rice is in a microwave-safe container.

About 1 cup of saffron rice takes about 6 minutes to heat in the microwave. Stir at the 3-minute mark to make sure it heats occasionally

My favorite way to reheat this rice has to be the pressure cooker. I highly recommend you use the pressure cooker to heat it.

Thaw the frozen rice just enough so that it will be transferable to a pressure cooker-safe container. Place the container in the instant pot or pressure cooker

Cook on high for about 5 minutes. The time will depend on how much rice you have to reheat. Experiment and let me know how long it took you to thaw the rice.

Recipes that use saffron

Vegan Paella
Saffron Mayo
Barley Pilaf
Red Cabbage Coleslaw
Check out Life Current’s delicious Orzo Paella

How To Make Saffron Rice

Rini

How to make a fluffy saffron rice. This recipe is so easy to make and it's very aromatic

5 from 51 votes

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Ingredients

For Cooking the Rice

1.5 cup basmati rice
7 cup water
1/2 tsp Pink Salt Optional

For the dry spices

3 pieces cloves
2 pods cardamom opened slightly, but, seeds kept inside the pod
1/4 cinnamon stick cut into smaller pieces

For the saffron

3 Tbsp hot water you can also use melted ghee instead
8 strands saffron This doesn't have to be preciese

For Rinsing the Rice

Water

Instructions

Rinse the rice

Add rice to a strong bottom pan
Add about 3 cups of rice to the pan and give it a quick stir
Drain as much of the water as possible. Doesn't have to be all of it it
Repeat the above steps 2 more times

Cook the Rice

Add the 7 cups of water to the rice
Add the dry spices to the rice + water
Place rice on medium heat
Cook for about 15-20 minutes, until the rice has doubled in size
Test the rice by mushing it. See notes
Using a sieve, drain the water from the rice

Soak the saffron

While the rice is cooking, heat the 3 Tbsp water
Add saffron strands to a glass bowl
Add the heated water
Give it a quick stir and set aside

Assemble the recipe

Place the cooked rice in a pan
Add the infused saffron water
Stir well and serve immediately

Video

Notes

– Stir it occasionally to make sure it is not sticking at the bottom

– Skim the starch that floats to the top. This is optional, but, I like doing it because it makes the rice taste better

– To test if the rice is cooked, gently mush one grain of cooked rice. If it is cooked, it will mush easily and will be soft. If it is uncooked, the rice grain will feel firm on one side and cooked on the other.

– Water from the rice is full of nutrition. It can be used in soups or curry as a stock. Or, use it in hair and skin care regiment.

Nutrition

Serving: 2PeopleCalories: 527kcal

Keyword how to make saffron rice, how to store saffron

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