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Rice Recipes from Iran
Pilaff with Almonds and Mixed Fruit
From my personal
Authentic Recipe Collection
Persians are
known to cook with dried fruits and fruit syrups. Here is an elegant yet simple
Persian Pilaf. Serve with raita, and vegetarian or non-vegetarian kebabs.
A side salad dish of sauted greens and onion and tomato salad also goes well along
with this dish.
This recipe is
easy to make, and quick to prepare.
Ingredients
-
Serves 6-8
3 oz. [3/8
cup] butter
1 medium-sized onion, roughly chopped
1 large green pepper, white pith removed,
seeded and roughly chopped
½ teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
6 oz. [1 cup] dried apricots, soaked in water for 30
minutes, drained and chopped
3 oz. [1/2 cup] sultanas or seedless raisins
12 oz. [2 cups] long-grain rice, washed, soaked in cold
water for 30 minutes and drained
1 1/2 pints [3 3/4 cups] boiling chicken or vegetable stock
4 oz. [1 cup] blanched flaked almonds, toasted
Preparation
- In a medium-sized saucepan, melt the
butter over moderate heat. When the foam subsides, add the onion and green pepper and fry,
stirring occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes or until the onion is soft and translucent but
not brown and the green pepper is soft.
- Stir in the turmeric and salt. Add
the apricots and sultanas or seedless raisins and cook, stirring constantly, for 2
minutes.
- Add the rice and cook, stirring
constantly, for 5 minutes. Pour in the chicken stock.
When the mixture comes to the boil, cover the
pan, reduce the heat to low and simmer the pilaff for 15 to 20 minutes or until the rice
is tender and all the liquid has been absorbed. Stir in the toasted almonds.
Spoon the pilaff on to a warmed
serving platter and serve immediately. Alternatively, cover the pan tightly and put it in
a warm oven until you are ready to serve it.
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