Barbara the Saffron Cardamom Rice looks excellent ~ have you made this? I love CARDAMOM one of my
absolute favorite spice along with ginger,nutmeg, anise, and almond extract or almond paste. Great spices.
I love all sorts of rice dishes and I am always on the look-out for a "new" one. I am going to have to make this real quick here because I know how I am, I'll think about it and think about it a lot until I just make it.
Thanks for posting the recipe.
I like saffron too~ in fact I have a recipe I got from food network called ~ Arancini it uses saffron too and I planned to make it this week but... your recipe may take priority over it.
I posted Arancini but for you I'll post it again and maybe compare it.. maybe you can tell me if a whole packet of saffron is a good idea for this recipe because I am hesitant about using a whole packet (though I have to admit yours is so much better that cardamom is a must have in most dishes)
Arancini
Ingredients:
Part 1: MEAT PORTION OF ARANCINI:
1/2 cup minced onion, celery and carrot (mix together)
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 pound ground beef
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
4 ounces tomato paste
1/2 cup sweet peas
Part 2: RICE PORTION ARANCINI
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound Arborio rice
46 ounces chicken broth
1 package saffron powder
3 ounces grated Parmesan
Freshly ground black pepper
Part 3: INGREDIENTS FOR ASSEMBLY OF ARANCINI
Mozzarella (1/2-inch cubes)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups warm water
Bread crumbs
Vegetable oil, for frying (deep fryer with basket)
Directions:
FOR MEAT PORTION:
Sauté onion, celery and carrot with olive oil until translucent. Add ground beef and season with salt and white pepper to taste. Once beef is added, with a wooden spoon, break down any chunks, the beef should be as fine as possible. Add tomato paste. Once the ground beef and tomato paste begin to simmer, turn down heat to low and cook for 30 minutes. If mixture begins to stick, add a touch of water. Add peas once cooked. Let cool in refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
FOR RICE PORTION:
Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in medium sized skillet over medium heat. Add rice (stir until evenly coated with oil. Add half of chicken broth and saffron, stirring continually. Once broth has been absorbed, continue to add small increments of broth, still stirring continually. Once all the broth has been absorbed, add cheese and pepper, the rice should be tender but "Al Dente". Pour rice onto a baking sheet and place in refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Rice should be able to form into a ball once cooled properly.
FOR ASSEMBLY:
Take handful of cooled rice; flatten while forming an indent in middle of the ball. Take a teaspoon or so of cooled meat mixture and mozzarella cube and place in the indentation of rice. Take another half of handful or so of rice and finish forming the rice ball. Once all rice balls are formed, dip each into water and flour mixture (combine 1 cup of flour and 1 1/4 cups of warm water with a pinch of salt and pepper), once evenly coated in flour mixture, coat in plain bread crumbs. In a deep-fryer, fry rice balls on medium to high heat until golden brown.
