Persian Rice with Saffron and Asparagus
A fragrant, golden dish of Persian Rice with Saffron and Asparagus. It's savory, exotic and fresh, and perfect to eat with family or to entertain.
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 305kcal
Ingredients
- 2 cups basmati rice (washed several times, then soaked in water for 30 minutes)
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 ½ tablespoon avocado oil or any neutral oil
- 2 medium onions (thinly sliced)
- 3 cloves garlic (thinly sliced)
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 large tomatoes (diced, or use 3 cups canned, diced tomatoes)
- ½ teaspoon saffron (mixed with ¼ cup of any non-dairy milk and set aside for a few minutes)
- 14 oz super firm tofu (optional. If using cut the tofu into ½-inch cubes)
- 1 pound asparagus (tough ends trimmed, and tender parts cut into ½ inch pieces)
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Drain the rice and place it in a microwave-safe bowl with the bay leaves and salt to taste. Add 2 cups of water and microwave 10 minutes or until the rice is mostly but not fully cooked. You can also do this on the stovetop. Bring a large pot of water to boil, add salt and bay leaves and add the drained rice. Cook about 7-8 minutes until rice reaches the right level of doneness, then drain and set aside.
- Heat ½ tablespoon of oil in a large saucepan with a tight lid. Add the onions and garlic with a pinch of salt and ground black pepper and sauce until the onions start to brown.
- Add the tofu cubes, if using, and continue to cook, turning the pieces of tofu over carefully every couple of minutes so they brown slightly without breaking. Add the asparagus along with the turmeric, cayenne, ground cinnamon and more salt if needed. Continue to cook a couple of minutes, then add in the tomatoes and lemon.
- Cover and cook 10 minutes, then remove everything to a bowl.
- To the same saucepan, add half the saffron milk and the remaining 2 tablespoon of oil along with 2 tablespoon water and 1 cup of the cooked rice. Mix them together lightly with the spatula and spread it evenly across the bottom of the pan, Next, layer on half the remaining rice. Over that, add half the tomato-asparagus mixture.
- then continue to layer on the rest of the rice. Over the rice, sprinkle the remaining half of the saffron milk and then proceed to layer with the remaining tomato-asparagus mixture.
- Cover the saucepan with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Cover with a tight lid and place over high heat for five minutes. Turn the heat to low and continue to cook 40 minutes.
- Once cooking is done, let the rice stand at least 10 minutes before you open and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Calories: 305kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 8mg | Potassium: 374mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 995IU | Vitamin C: 14.9mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 2.1mg