4-Ingredient Steamed Persian Rice (with or without Saffron)

5 from 12 votes

4-Ingredient Steamed Persian Rice (with or without Saffron)

Par-boiled, then steamed, this rice is the traditional way to cook Persian rice with just 4 ingredients. Serve with all the favorite Persian stews like ghormeh sabzi and kabobs like koobideh. You can make this recipe with or without saffron.

Prep Time5

Cook Time40

Total Time45

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Persian

Diet: Gluten Free, Kosher, Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings:

Calories: 315kcal

Author: Candice Walker

Ingredients

2 cups basmati rice you can use as little as 1.5 cups
3 tbsp salt
5 tbsp flavorless oil canola, sunflower seed
1 pinch saffron optional, ground
water

Instructions

Wash the rice with cold water until the water runs clear. Then soak it in cold water until the next step.
Bring ⅔ of a pot of water to boil. Add 3 tablespoons of salt. Then, strain the rice and add it to the pot. Gently stir, bring it back to a boil, then remove the lid to keep it from overflowing.
When al dente, strain. Do not overcook! If salty, rinse with cold water. Shake the colander to remove as much water as possible.
Add 3 tablespoons of oil in a pot. Then gently add the drained rice.
Using the back side of a kitchen utensil, make 6 deep holes in the rice, then put the lid back on. Cook on medium heat, watching it carefully.
When the lid gets foggy, pour a little oil over the rice - about 3 tbsp. Then put the lid back on and turn the heat to the lowest possible setting.
Optional: wrap the lid in a kitchen towel. This helps absorb excess water and keep the rice from getting mushy.
Cook 20-30 min from when the oil is poured on top.
Optional: If using the saffron, now is the time to steep it. Steep the ground saffron by topping it with 2 ice cubes while the rice cooks.
If using saffron, now is the time to add it to about a cup of the cooked rice and mix well with a fork. Pour this yellow rice over the rest of the rice in your serving dish.

Video

Notes

Looking for tahdig? Make this recipe.

You want the rice to still have a little bite. Persian rice is never served mushy.

If your pot does not have a glass lid, check for condensation on the top of the lid.

For bright yellow rice, you can use ground saffron. I prefer the threads because the aroma is stronger, even though the rice doesn't get the classic bright yellow you see in restaurants.

This rice will still be delicious without the saffron, but will have a simple flavor.

This rice will still be delicious without the saffron but will have a simple flavor. My mom would usually make it without saffron for weekdays, and always with saffron if we were having guests.

Nutrition