Name: Saffron-Flavored Steamed Rice with Golden Crust (Chelow)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 h 20 min
Total time: 1 h 35 min
Yield: Makes 6 servings
Cuisine: Iranian
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons plain yogurt; 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (or nigella seeds or coriander seeds), optional; 1 teaspoon ground saffron dissolved in 4 tablespoons rose water or hot water; 4 cups (800 g) long-grain basmati rice; 10 cups (2.4 l) water; 2 tablespoons fine sea salt; ¾ cup (180 ml) oil, melted butter, or ghee*; 1 tablespoon rose water; 1 tablespoon ground cardamom

Preparation info

Makes
6
servings

Difficulty
Medium
Ready in
1 hr 35

Appears in

Food of Life

By Najmieh Batmanglij

Published 2011

About

Ingredients

Rice

4 cups (800 g) long-grain basmati rice
10 cups (2.4

Method

Pick over the rice. Basmati rice like any other old rice contains many small solid particles. This grit must be removed by picking over the rice carefully by hand. Wash the rice by placing it in a large container and covering it with lukewarm water. Agitate gently with your hand, then pour off the water. Repeat 5 times until the rice is completely clean. When washed rice