Original video by @EthanChlebowski — all credit to the creator.
Saffron Rice (Rice Cooker Method)
Fragrant basmati rice cooked in vegetable stock with saffron, then finished with butter for a glossy, golden finish. The aroma alone is worth the price of the spice.
Ingredients
- 0.5 gsaffron threads
- —basmati rice
- —vegetable stock
- 10 gbutter · stirred in at the end
Steps
- 1
Add the basmati rice and vegetable stock to a rice cooker.
- 2
Add 0.5 g saffron threads and cook until the rice is done.
- 3
Let the rice steam, then open the cooker and stir in about 10 g of butter until everything is glossy.
- 4
Serve warm — it pairs well with spiced chicken and a creamy sauce.
Creator's notes
From a blind taste test comparing $141/oz Afghan grade-1 saffron against $78/oz Spanish saffron: Ethan could not reliably tell them apart in the finished rice, so budget whole-thread saffron is fine for most people. Saffron's color compound (crocin) and much of its aroma are water-soluble — bloom saffron in water, milk, or stock, never in oil, since oil extracts almost nothing.
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