Saffron-Garlic Rice

Fall semester finals were last week and final grades were due on Tuesday. The nearly instantaneous flexibility that comes with the end of the semester generally means I can cook more creative meals and/or more time-intensive meals with some frequency. Thus, this week we've had all sorts of fun dishes, including chickpeas romesco, which we haven't had in ages!

To be honest, I'm not sure why we don't make this saffron-garlic rice more often. It's an easy recipe that involves mostly hands-off cooking, and the flavor is seriously good. I could see this rice as a side dish for a fancy dinner party, an option for a night you want something other than plain rice, or our favorite way to eat it - under chickpeas romesco. Regardless, we should eat it more and you should eat it, too! While it does take a bit of time, I'll remind you that it's easy and that your taste buds will thank you.

See that little spot of red? That's a saffron thread!

Saffron-Garlic Rice
This is essentially the recipe by the same name in Veganomicon, p. 119.

Ingredients
1 3/4 c. very hot veggie broth
pinch of saffron threads
1 small yellow onion, diced finely
5 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 c. white basmati rice
1/3 c. sliced almonds, toasted (optional)

Directions
1. Add the saffron threads to the hot broth, stir, cover, and set aside.
2. In a medium pot, heat a bit of oil and then saute the onions until they are almost translucent. Add the garlic and saute another 2-3 minutes over medium heat.
3. Add the rice to the pot and then saute the rice for about one minute (stirring well).
4. Add the veggie broth mixture to the rice, then cover and bring up to a boil.
5. Stir once, replace the cover, and reduce the heat to low so that the rice is at a low simmer. Simmer for 20-25 minutes.
6. Remove the pot from the heat. Leave the lid on and let the rice rest for 10 minutes. If using the almonds, toast them now.
7. Fluff before serving and add the almonds, if using.

Helpful Hints

• The water to rice ratio is critical here, so make sure that you cover when the instructions say to cover, and that your pot has a well-fitting lid. 
• The almonds are lovely in this rice, but we find they are unnecessary when serving this under something. If you are serving the rice as a side dish, I think it is more important to add them then. 
• Saffron is crazy expensive. However, you only use a small amount in this dish (5-6 threads!) and it add such an amazing flavor. You can use saffron in other dishes, such as paella!
• This is a gluten-free and soy-free dish if you make sure that your veggie broth is free of both. 

The post "Saffron Garlic Rice" first appeared on Maggie's LesVegan Kitchen.