This is one of those recipes that is a product of pantry and refrigerator ingredients already on hand. (I love when that happens!) I could eat an entire bowl full of saffron rice on its own, but this time I combined it with sliced almonds, tender caramelized onions cooked in olive oil and a pat of butter, and roasted rounds of carrots that I flavored with curry powder. The richness of the curry powder paired with the buttery onions, crunchy almonds and tender sweet carrots was perfection. This recipe will teach you not to underestimate the potential jewels already in your pantry and produce drawer !
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Saffron Rice with Curried Carrots, Caramelized Onions & Sliced Almonds
Ingredients:
- 6 large carrots, scrubbed and cut into rounds
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- ½ teaspoon curry powder
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 large yellow onions
- 3 cups water (or chicken stock)
- Pinch of saffron
- 1 ½ cups basmati rice
- ¼ cup sliced almonds
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Arrange the sliced carrots on a parchment-lined baking sheet; drizzle with oil, season with ½ teaspoon of salt and a big grinding of pepper. Sprinkle with the curry powder. Roast the carrots for 25 minutes, or until tender.
- In the meantime, to make the caramelized onions, melt the butter along with 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large, straight-sided saute pan. Add in the sliced onions and season with ½ teaspoon of salt and a big grinding of pepper. Cook over low heat, stirring often, for 25 minutes or so, until the onions are very tender and browned.
- To make the saffron rice, place the water or stock in a medium saucepan and season with a pinch of salt and the saffron threads. Bring to a boil; add in the rice and stir once. Reduce the heat to low and cover. Cook for 18-20 minutes or until the rice is fluffy and the liquid evaporated.
- To serve, toss the rice, curried carrots, caramelized onions and sliced almonds in a large bowl. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.
Tagged: basmati rice, caramelized onions, carrots, curried carrots, curry powder, rice pilaf, roasted carrots, saffron, saffron rice, saffron threads, sliced almonds
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