How to prepare saffron water

Saffron water is a mixture of... you guessed it, saffron and water. It can be used to add flavor and color to various dishes. It's a basic one that will be useful for future recipes. This visual step-by-step guide will make it even easier. 

What you'll need: 

• 1/8 teaspoon Saffron (can be purchased from markets that carry import products or Amazon.com 
• 1 tablespoon boiled water
• Mortar and pestle
• Container with lid for storage of extra ground saffron

How to prepare 

1. Measure an 1/8 of a teaspoon of saffron and place into mortar. This is about half your pinky nail. If using it on top of rice, this amount will make enough saffron water for about 2-4 cups of uncooked rice. 

2. Grind saffron in the mortar with the pestle until fine and pour into a glass cup/container. 

3. Add 1 tablespoon of boiled water and mix for a few minutes. Note: ground saffron will not dissolve completely. 

4. The color of the saffron water should be a rich orange-yellow hue. Set aside to add to rice or other dish. 

Although saffron is expensive, a small amount goes a long way. The distinct sweet aroma and flavor that it adds is worth every penny! 

You can always grind saffron ahead of time and store it in a glass jar with a lid for future use. This will help make this process even quicker! Saffron water can be used with the recipe posted for how to make steamed basmati rice . More recipes to come! 

Enjoy! 

xo arineh 

History & Use of Saffron

We use saffron frequently for cooking but I realized I didn’t know much about its origins. Naturally, I went to Wikipedia for information. Below are some key points from the website but if you’re interested in more, you can always reference the article on Wikipedia.

Saffron is spice that comes from the flower of Crocus sativus and believed to be first cultivated in Greece before it spread over continents. The spice is derived from the three crimson stigmas of the dried flower. The use of saffron dates back approximately 4,000 years and has been used for medicine, seasoning, fragrances and dye for textiles. Saffron has a sweet aromatic scent and adds a beautiful yellow-orange color to foods. As a seasoning, saffron is widely used in Indian, Persian, European, Arab, and Turkish cuisines. As medicine, there is research to support that saffron helps with depression, is an anticarcinogenic (cancer-suppressing) and has antioxidant properties. Saffron has been and still is one of the world’s most expensive substances. A small amount in the United States can cost about $20. Currently, Iran produces about 90% of the saffron in the world.

Saffron has been and still is one of the world’s most expensive substances. A small amount in the United States can cost about $20. Currently, Iran produces about 90% of the saffron in the world.

As we use a very small amount in cooking, I think the extra flavor it adds is worth the cost. It stores for years and it’s easy to incorporate in cooking. I’ll show you how to prepare saffron water in my next post.

xo arineh

How to Cook Basmati Rice (Steamed Method)

Rice is a relatively easy to make meal that is served in many cultures. Basmati rice is long grain rice from India, which when cooked to perfection will compliment many Persian dishes. I’ve decided to start with rice as it is a basic food staple in our culture. This recipe is for the steamed version of rice; however, there is another method of cooking rice that I will post soon. The recipe includes notes and tips along the way to help produce the best version of rice possible (in my humble opinion, of course). 

Ingredients

• 2 cups of uncooked basmati rice
• 4 cups of water
• Salt
• 2-3 tablespoons of olive or vegetable oil (I used olive oil)

Prep

1. Measure the amount of rice you are going to cook and place in a medium sized bowl. This recipe uses 2 cups of rice. 
[Note: 2 cups of rice will feed about 4 people with some leftover as well. Typically, you calculate ½ of cup per person. Rice keeps well in the fridge, so you can always make more and save for later.]

2. Rinse the rice with cold water at least 4-5 times. This will help rid the rice of excess starch. 

3. Measure the amount of water needed and add it to the bowl with the rice. For basmati rice, it is typically a 1:2 ratio. Since we have 2 cups of uncooked rice, we will add 4 cups of water. 
[Note: The amount of water recommended may vary from brand to brand, so check the packaging of the rice for specific instructions for the amount of water to be used].

4. Use 1 teaspoon of salt for each cup of uncooked rice used. Stir in with your hand or a wooden spoon. Let the rice sit in the bowl for at least 30 minutes. TIP: If you're in a hurry, simply add boiled water instead. This will help expand the rice grains quicker. [Note: you can prep in advance and let sit for hours.]

Cook

1. Pour everything into a medium sized pot and put the temperature on high heat until it boils. Stirring gently and occasionally using a wooden spoon. 

2. Once the rice begins boiling, add salt to taste (see photo below for approx. amount to add for 2 cups of rice). Continue to boil and remove any excess starch from the top of the water using a spoon. 

3. After removing any excess starch, add 1 tablespoon of oil for each cup of rice and stir gently.

4. Keep the heat on high until you can see holes are coming through the rice.

5. As the water begins evaporating, begin to stir by pulling the rice from the edges to make sure they do not stick to the pot. If rice is not glistening, add about 2-3 counts of oil.

 

6. After almost all the water has evaporated put the lid on for 5 minutes at medium heat. 

7. Then put to low heat and wait until fully cooked (usually takes about 15-20 minutes). There should not be any water in the pot, if there is, continue to cook rice until it looks like it does in the photo below. 
[Note: Saffron water was added to the top of the rice for flavor (step by step guide for preparing saffron water can be found here)]. 

Serve and enjoy! 

If there is anything I can do to improve this recipe, I would love to hear from you. Simply leave a comment below. :)

xo arineh

a warm welcome

Ever tasted a home cooked meal and wish you knew how to prepare it? So have I. Practically every. single. one. my mom has prepared.

Middle eastern cuisine, like others, can take time to prep and cook. And of course,  patience to master. My old grad school roommate and I (who both love the cuisine) asked my mom to teach us her craft.

And here I am, sharing the recipes as we learn them. It seems that when I follow recipes, I find myself wishing I could see what the dish is supposed to look like in the process. So my blog will feature plenty of photos throughout the process to help guide you along. (I'm a visual learner, after all). This blog is for anyone looking to make extraordinary dishes that will have people asking for seconds, and likely thirds.
xo arineh

In the photo: tah-deek (crispy bread) over basmati rice with saffron