Instant Pot Saffron Rice - A delicious and easy side dish that only uses a few ingredients and pairs well with numerous entrees.
Growing up, my mom never made rice.
Our dinner carb typically revolved around some kind of potato, usually a boiled red one. Needless to say, it wasn't the most appealing option!
I got my taste of rice at various Mexican and Chinese restaurants, but I didn't start making it myself until my early twenties.
There is a definite learning curve with mastering fluffy rice, but, like anything, with much practice, I can say I make a darn good bowl of fluffy rice!
How many different rice(s) are there?
Rices? Reece? Not certain on the plural form of rice, but there are many different varieties, and I've probably tried them all!
Grain sizes vary from short to medium to long, with the starch content being greater in smaller sizes. There is also a plethora of colors, including brown, white, red, black, and even green!
If all that isn't enough, there are myriad varieties, some of which are basmati, jasmine, jade, arborio, and wild. One of my favorite offshoots is forbidden rice, which is a shorter grain and black in color.
My top spot for everyday eating goes to long grain brown basmati rice!
How to flavor rice
While I love a bowl of plain rice, it's such a versatile ingredient to use in recipes.
Fresh herbs, onion, shallot, garlic, olive oil, butter are all just a thimble's worth of the options available to make rice even more delicious!
Today's recipe employs another of my favorites: saffron.
I know saffron can be a bit pricey, but Trader Joe's has a decent deal and sometimes I find it at the department store outlets, like Home Goods and TJMaxx.
You only need but a pinch for most recipes, including this one.
This makes a great side to just about any protein, particularly fish. We had it recently with this baked trout and roasted broccoli, and everyone enjoyed it!
If you like rice recipes, check out some of these!
My Favorite Fried Rice
Tex Mex Rice
Mushroom Brown Rice Pilaf
Instant Pot Saffron Rice
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil or butter
- good pinch saffron threads (about 1/8 tsp)
- ¼ cup yellow onion chopped
- 1 cup long grain brown basmati rice rinsed well and drained
- 1 dried bay leaf
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Hit the SAUTE button on your Instant Pot.
- Add in the oil or butter and let it warm up a bit.
- Stir in the onion and a few dashes of salt and cook for 1-2 minutes.
- While the onion cooks, add a few tablespoons of water and the saffron threads to a small saucepan.
- Bring the water to a brief boil and shut the heat off, letting the saffron steep and release its flavor.
- Once the onion is cooked a bit, add in the rice.
- To a liquid measuring cup, pour in the saffron water, along with enough clean water to equal 1 1/4 cups TOTAL.
- Pour the water into the Instant Pot and stir briefly.
- Seal and lock the lid, and set the timer to cook for 23 minutes on high pressure.
- Let the Instant Pot naturally release for ten minutes once the timer goes off.
- Salt the rice to your taste and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Some of the items I use to make this recipe include:
Recipe steps:
Sauteing the onion...
Steeping the saffron...
Measuring the water with the saffron...
Everything into the pot...
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