Name: Saffron Steamed Rice (Chelow)
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Total time: 2 h
Yield: Serves: 6
Cuisine: Iranian
Ingredients: 1 cup/240 ml oil or ghee; ½ teaspoon ground saffron threads dissolved in 4 tablespoons rose water, or water; 2 tablespoons plain whole milk yogurt; 4 cups/800 g white basmati rice, soaked 30 minutes, drained and rinsed; 3 tablespoons fine sea salt; 1 tablespoon cardamom seeds (not the pods; optional); 2 tablespoons rose water (optional)

Preparation info

Serves:
6

Difficulty
Medium
Ready in
2 hr

Appears in

Cooking in Iran

By Najmieh Batmanglij

Published 2020

About

When I asked if I could meet the cooks and photograph some of the dishes at the Jalali Restaurant, I was surprised to hear the manager say she was familiar with my cookbook Food of Life and that I was welcome to visit their kitchen. I have adapted the rice and kabab recipes that follow in consultation with their chef/kababi.