It's come to my attention that the vast majority of rice recipes and ways to eat rice are incredibly dull and boring. I mean, there's nothing inspiring about a pot of boiled white rice, is there?
And that was the precise reason why I was so over the moon when my father dearest decided to show me how he makes his rice on a regular basis, PERSIAN STYLE! This recipe produces some of the best tasting rice I've ever come across, with the added bonus of some delicious, crispy potatoes too.
Trust me, once you've tasted this rice, you'll never be able to go back to anything plain and boring again.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup and a half of basmati rice
- 3-4 medium potatoes, sliced into rounds of medium thickness
- 1 teaspoon of cumin
- Olive oil
- A few knobs of butter
Method:
Place your rice into a large bowl and fill the bowl with water. Now proceed to pop your hands in and wash the rice with the water, running it in between your fingers and scrubbing it thoroughly in order to remove some of the excess starch. Once the water becomes cloudy, tip it out carefully and add more, repeating the washing process until you've reached a total of 3 times.
Place your selected pot onto the stove at a high heat, add some water (you will need quite a large quantity, so just aim to fill up that pot!) and bring it to a rolling boil. Salt the water to taste, before introducing your rice. Parboil the rice for exactly 7 minutes, no more no less. Once this step is completed, remove it from the stove and drain it out into a sieve and set aside.
Now for the best part! With your stove on a low heat, add a shallow layer of olive oil to the bottom of the pot and allow it to heat up a little. Now sprinkle in your teaspoon of cumin seeds and leave them for approximately 1 minute; this will help release and disperse that wonderful cumin flavour into your oil.
Being incredibly careful with your fingers (I don't want to be responsible for any digits that become fries in the process...) place as many of your potato rounds onto the bottom of your pot. Leave them to sizzle away for about a minute.
Grab a spoon and gradually place your rice into the pot. Make sure EVERY potato is completely covered by the rice. Once all of the rice has been introduced, do not interfere with it in any way, shape or form; it doesn't need to be pressed down or flattened. Now add in some generous blobs of butter! (When I say generous, I don't mean a whole block but this isn't meant to be a low fat recipe, so don't be afraid to go for it. It tastes so much nicer with the addition of butter!
Before leaving the rice to completely cook for 45 minutes on a low heat, dampen a large tea towel, wrap it around the pot's lid and place it onto the pot. This is a vital step to insure that your rice steams beautifully.
And there you have it! Once the rice has finished it's 45 minutes cooking time, remove it from the heat and spoon it out into a bowl, followed by the gorgeous crispy potatoes (my favourite part!) in order to create a dish that's pleasing to the eye.
As you can see from the photo above, this was served at one of our latest dinner parties and, in approximately 10 minutes, the entire bowl had been emptied and even scraped! It's just such a delicious recipe!
Thank you so much for reading today's recipe; I really hope you enjoyed finding out how we cook our rice and obtain a wonderful result every time! Do you like rice? If so, how do you normally prepare and eat yours?
Please let me know in the comments section and, as usual, follow myself and this blog; if you loved this, you're DEFINITELY going to enjoy my other content! Have a lovely week!
Until next time,
Marina Rosie x
I do like rice, but I bet I would love it persian style. Need to try your version soon. Sorry for the question, as I around here: Are you Persian? Or is this just a way your father likes to cook? Like, my mother loves cooking Asian food, but we are German.
ReplyDeleteLinda, Libra, Loca: Beauty, Baby and Backpacking
Yes, It's such a lovely version of rice! xx Honestly, ask me anything freely, don't worry! I'm not actually Persian; my dad is half Nigerian half Scottish and my mum is Half Zimbabwean and half Italian! We're a real mix! x We love to cook food from all over, so hence why I've got a persian recipe! xx
DeleteLots of love,
Marina Rosie xx
This looks delicious, the potatoes are nice and dark just how i like them. I've got to try this Marina, thanks. Leyla
ReplyDeleteThanks very much for reading again Leyla, and yass, the potatoes need to be all crispy and caramelised to get that gorgeous flavour! Do try it, let me know how it goes! xx
DeleteLots of love,
Marina Rosie xx
This sounds delicious! I love rice based dishes and this sounds like it would taste great! Lovely post x
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for reading and enjoying Rachel! xxx
DeleteLots of love,
Marina Rosie xxx
These sound absolutely delicious! I'm going to try this!
ReplyDeleteSo glad you liked this recipe Kasie! Yes, feel free to give it a go, you'll love this rice, trust me! xx
DeleteLots of love,
Marina Rosie xx
Nice write very amazing :)
ReplyDeleteThanks a lot Ibrahim, means a lot that you enjoyed! x
DeleteLots of love,
Marina Rosie xx
I've had and made Iranian rice using a similar steaming method, but without the potatoes and cumin layer at the bottom of the pot. My rice crust is popular with kids who have good teeth but too gritty for adults. Your crispy potato layer was the perfect improvement I was looking for and the aroma of cumin is definitely a step up. The butter on top for me was a bit too indulgent because I served it with a rich sauce. However, it's perfectly justifiable when balanced with grilled meat, fish or roast chicken and a dressed mixed salad. A perfect summer meal in waiting! Thanks once again for a descriptive and user friendly recepe.
ReplyDeleteWow, your Iranian rice sounds absolutely delicious, I've got to give it a go! Thanks so much for reading, I'm really chuffed that you enjoyed hearing about this adaptation of the recipe! xx
DeleteLots of love,
Marina Rosie xx
Gnammm! Must try it!
ReplyDeleteFederica Di Nardo
http://federicadinardo.com
True that, you've GOT to give it a go Federica! Love your blog by the way! x
DeleteLots of love,
Marina Rosie xx
I tried the recipe myself and loved it! Thanks for telling me how to do it.
ReplyDeleteYou're very welcome, so glad you enjoyed it! xx
DeleteLots of love,
Marina Rosie xx
This recipe sounds and looks so yummy! Rice is a must have for my meals and I occasionally cook it with sweet potatoes, but crispy potatoes is a whole other level of deliciousness! Thank you for sharing Marina!
ReplyDeleteJenny // Geeky Posh
Thanks so much for reading this one Jenny, so glad you enjoyed the recipe! xx I absolutely love rice, it sounds fabulous with sweet potatoes! xx You're going to have to give me the recipe Jenny! xx
DeleteLots of love,
Marina Rosie xx
This looks delicious hun!
ReplyDeleteI love rice, never made Persian rice myself but would love to try it sometime :)
XX Sammy
Thanks so much Sammy! x Do give it a go love and let me know how it goes; trust me, you'll love it! x
DeleteLots of love,
Marina Rosie xx
mmm, I love potato.
ReplyDeleteMoj mali kutak
So do I, so the combination of my two favourite things (potato and rice) has proven to be irresistible! xx
DeleteLots of love,
Marina Rosie xx
this is unusual combination but it looks so yummy! I have to try it!
ReplyDeleteIt may sound strange but it honestly does work! xx
DeleteLots of love,
Marina Rosie x
I agree that rice can often be labelled as being boring but it is recipes like yours that show it could not be further from the truth. I like the sound of the crispy potatoes and generous addition of butter x
ReplyDeleteI mean, there's nothing exciting about boiled white rice Ana, so we had to reinvent it with this and it's gorgeous! x You've got to have that crunch and, of course, butter is always welcome! It makes everything taste better! x
DeleteLots of love,
Marina Rosie xx
As someone who is gluten free we do eat a lot of rice. I have never thought to use it in this way, I will definitely be trying these out!
ReplyDeleteIt's delicious! x I'm sure it'll be right up your street! x
DeleteLots of love,
Marina Rosie xx
I love Persian Rice. There's not a thing wrong with a simple meal of rice, butter, and a little spice. In fact, the first time I made it, the recipe came from a Bon Appetit magazine I was reading at the doctor's office. I'm really excited to try your version!
ReplyDeleteSo glad you're familiar with it Alison! It's honestly so delicious, and with the added crispy potatoes, you get a mixture of textures and flavours that go hand in hand! xx
DeleteLots of love,
Marina Rosie xx
I can already imagine the tasty, crispy, and darkened crust of rice!
ReplyDelete