Jeweled Moroccan Pilaf With Pistachio Nuts Recipes

DAVID TANIS'S PERSIAN JEWELED RICE

Steps:

• Rinse the rice several times in cold water until the water runs clear. Drain. Bring 3 quarts water to a boil in a large pot with 2 tablespoons kosher salt. Add the rinsed rice and boil, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, then drain well in a colander.
• Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, season lightly with salt and cook until softened and lightly colored, 4 to 5 minutes. Moisten with 1 tablespoon saffron water and stir in the cinnamon, cardamom, allspice, black pepper and cumin. Cook for 1 minute more. Stir in the apricots, raisins (or currants) and barberries (or cherries or cranberries).
• Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a heavy-bottomed enamel or nonstick Dutch oven over medium heat. Spread half the par-cooked rice over the bottom of the pot. Spoon over the onion-fruit mixture, then the remaining rice. Leave the pot on the flame, uncovered, for 5 to 8 minutes to gently brown the rice. (Do not stir or move the rice - you will need to rely on your nose to tell if the rice has browned.)
• Drizzle the remaining saffron water over the rice and put on the lid. Adjust the heat to very low and leave undisturbed for 30 minutes. Turn off the heat and let rest at least 10 minutes.
• Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a small skillet over medium-low heat and gently toast the almonds and pistachios for a minute or so, taking care not to get them too brown. Set aside for garnish.
• To serve, spoon the rice into a wide bowl or platter. With a spatula, carefully lift the bottom crust, placing the crisp side up. Sprinkle with the toasted nuts.

MOROCCAN RICE PILAF

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Melt butter on medium-low heat in a small ovenproof pot.
• Fold in onions and stir well.
• Cook for 3-4 minutes until onions turn translucent but are not browned.
• Add cumin, cayenne pepper, paprika and rice.
• Stir well so that the rice is evenly coated with butter.
• Cook for 3-4 minutes.
• Stir in stock and raisins.
• Bring to a boil on high heat.
• Once the stock comes to a boil, cover the pot and let the pilaf cook in the oven for 18 minutes.
• Fold in salt, pepper and almonds before fluffing with a fork and serving.
• Enjoy!

BASMATI RICE PILAF WITH DRIED FRUITS AND ALMONDS

Steps:

• Place the rice in a medium bowl and add enough water to cover by 2 inches. Using your hands, gently swish the grains to release any excess starch. Carefully pour off the water, leaving the rice in the bowl. Repeat four to five times, until the water runs almost clear. Using a fine mesh strainer, drain the water from rice. Place the strainer over a bowl and set aside.
• Melt the butter in a pot over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring regularly, until softened but not browned, about 4 minutes. Add the cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds longer. Add the rice to the pot, and cook, stirring constantly, for about 3 minutes. Add the water, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until all the liquid is absorbed, 15 to 18 minutes. Off the heat, remove the lid and sprinkle the dried fruit over the rice (do not mix in). Place the lid over the pot and let stand for 10 minutes. Toss in the toasted almonds, fluff the rice with a fork, and serve.

BASMATI RICE WITH SAFFRON

Steps:

• Place rice in medium bowl; add enough cold water to cover rice. Rub rice gently between fingers; drain. Repeat 4 or 5 times until water is clear; drain. Cover rice with cold water; soak 30 minutes. Drain; set aside.
• In 2-quart saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add cashews; stir-fry 10 to 20 seconds or until cashews are golden brown. Remove with slotted spoon; drain on paper towels.
• Add raisins to hot oil; stir-fry 20 to 30 seconds or until raisins plump up. Remove with slotted spoon; add to cashews to drain.
• Add cumin seed, peppercorns, cardamom pods, cloves, bay leaves and cinnamon sticks to hot oil; sizzle 15 to 30 seconds. Mix in onions; stir-fry 3 to 4 minutes or until onions are golden brown.
• Add rice; gently stir-fry 1 minute, taking care not to break tender rice grains. Stir in 1 1/2 cups cold water, the saffron and salt. Heat to boiling, stirring once; reduce heat to medium-high. Cook uncovered 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until almost all the water has evaporated.
• Reduce heat to low. Cover; cook 5 minutes; remove from heat. Let rice stand covered 10 to 15 minutes.
• Fluff rice with fork or spoon to release steam. Serve sprinkled with roasted cashews and raisins. Serve with peppercorns, cardamom pods, cloves, bay leaves and cinnamon sticks left in to continue to flavor the rice, but do not eat them.

RICE PILAF WITH PISTACHIOS AND ALMONDS

Steps:

• Place rice in a bowl in the sink and rinse several times with water, or soak for 30 minutes to an hour. Drain.
• Heat water or stock to a bare simmer in a saucepan or in microwave.
• Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil, butter or ghee in a wide, heavy skillet or saucepan over medium heat and add onion and salt to taste. Cook, stirring, until the onion begins to soften, about 3 minutes, and add rice. Cook, stirring, until the grains of rice are separate, dry and beginning to crackle. Add hot water or stock, rose water and salt to taste and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 15 minutes, until all of the liquid has been absorbed.
• Uncover rice and place a clean towel over the top of the pan (it should not be touching the rice). Replace lid and allow to sit for 10 minutes, undisturbed.
• Meanwhile, heat remaining tablespoon of oil, butter or ghee over medium heat in a medium frying pan or saucepan and add the nuts. Cook, stirring, until lightly toasted, and add spices and barberries or dried apricots. Continue to cook for another minute, until the spices smell fragrant, and remove from the heat. Immediately scrape over the rice.
• Pile the pilaf onto a platter or into a wide bowl and toss to incorporate the nut and spice mixture. Serve.

MOROCCAN RICE (PILAF)

Steps:

• Saute: Place the onion and the olive oil in a large pot and sauté under medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Add cumin, allspice, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, pepper and rice and stir until rice gets a white color, about 2-3 minutes.
• Simmer: Add the stock (or water), salt and saffron, cover the pot and wait until it starts to boil. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer and cook covered until almost all of the water is absorbed, about 5 - 10 minutes.
• Rest: Turn off the heat, add the dried fruits and almonds and stir/fluff up gently with a fork. Cover the pot and let the pilaf rest for 15-20 minutes.

JEWELED MOROCCAN PILAF WITH PISTACHIO NUTS

Steps:

• In 4-quart Dutch oven, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onions, ras el hanout and salt; cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently, until translucent.
• Add rice; cook and stir 1 minute; add broth, raisins and apricots. Heat to boiling over high heat, stirring frequently. Cover and reduce heat to low; cook about 18 minutes or until tender but not mushy.
• Stir in pistachio nuts.

RICE PILAF WITH PISTACHIOS AND GOLDEN RAISINS

Steps:

• In a small heavy saucepan cook the onion with the turmeric and the cardamom in 1 tablespoon of the butter over moderately low heat, stirring, until the onion is softened. Add the rice and cook it, stirring, until it is coated with the butter. Add the broth, bring the liquid to a boil, covered, and simmer the mixture for 17 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender. Stir in the pistachios, the raisins, the scallion greens, the remaining 1/2 tablespoon butter, and salt and pepper to taste.

BASMATI RICE PILAF WITH PISTACHIOS

Steps:

• Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 325°F. Spread the pistachios on a baking sheet and toast in the oven until golden and fragrant, 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack to cool. Roughly chop the nuts and set aside.
• Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and salt, and sauté for 2 minutes; add the coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, and bay leaf to the pan and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened and turning brown, 1 to 3 minutes more. Add the rice and cook, stirring, until the rice is well coated with oil and slightly translucent, about 3 minutes.
• Add the chicken broth. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to low, cover, and let simmer until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender, about 15 minutes. Discard the cinnamon stick, bay leaf, and cardamom pods.
• Season to taste with salt if necessary. When ready to serve, sprinkle with the chopped pistachios.

MOROCCAN PILAF

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Lightly oil a shallow 1 1/2 quart ovenproof casserole.
• In a large skillet, heat oil. Saute the almonds over medium heat until browned and fragrant, 3 minutes. Stir in the onion, carrot, and cinnamon. Cook 3 minutes.
• Add the rice and cook, stirring,until translucent, 1 minute.
• Stir in the stock, currants, orange zest, and cayenne pepper. Bring to boil; remove from heat.
• Transfer the mixture to the prepared casserole and bake, uncovered, until the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is tender, about 45 minutes.
• Garnish with chives and serve.

MEDITERRANEAN RICE PILAF WITH PISTACHIOS AND GOLDEN RAISINS

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat and cook onion, turmeric, and cardamom, stirring constantly, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add rice and mix well.
• Pour chicken broth into the saucepan, stir, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until rice is tender and liquid has been absorbed, about 17 minutes.
• Toast pistachios in a dry skillet until fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes; remove from skillet and coarsely chop.
• Place golden raisins in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Soak for 1 minute and drain well.
• Remove rice from heat and allow to stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Mix in pistachios, raisins, and green onions; season with salt.