Saffron Rice

For years we’ve been buying Mahatma’s Yellow Rice when we have a hankering for saffron rice. While it’s pretty good, it does tend to a bit salty for us. So this year we’ve started making our own saffron rice, and it tastes just as good, but vastly less salty. Plus, it’s about as easy to make as the packaged stuff. We already have the ingredients laying around. Another bonus is that it cooks in 15 minutes instead of 25.

Ingredients

Handful of diced sweet onion (about 1/4 of a medium onion)

1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric

1 pinch of saffron

2 tablespoons margarine or butter (we use Earth Balance)

1 cup jasmine rice

1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth (or water)

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

Instructions

Melt butter/margarine in a saucepan. Add onions and cook until transparent over a medium heat. Add turmeric, saffron and garlic. Stir until well blended. Add rice, stir until well coated and then add broth/water. Turn the heat to high until mixture is boiling. Cover and turn to simmer. Cook 10 minutes, let rest for 5 minutes.

To make it a ‘Spanish’ rice, add a can of drained petite diced fire roasted tomatoes when adding the broth (or adjust broth amount accordingly). Spice it up with some cayenne pepper to taste.

Great served with petite peas.