JEWELED RICE

SERVES 8

INGREDIENTS

3 cups long-grain basmati rice

2 large oranges

1 cup dried barberries

½ g Saffron

1/3 cup sugar

4 Tbsp orange blossom water

2 Tbsp olive oil

½ cup sliced, toasted almonds

½ cup chopped, toasted pistachios

½ cups raisins

3 large carrots cut into 2 inch match sticks

½ tsp Ceylon cinnamon

1 cup of water

DIRECTIONS

Wash the rice and drain it 5 times.

Peel the oranges with a vegetable peeler and slice into small slivers. Cook them in boiling water for 1 minute. Drain, rinse and put aside.

Grind the saffron with a pinch of sugar, when it is powdered pour in 3 Tbsp of orange blossom water. Heat a Tbsp of olive oil and add the nuts and raisins. Sauté together for 5 minutes., then add the barberries and set aside.

Heat the orange blossom/saffron mixture, 1 Tbsp of sugar, and 1 Tbsp of olive oil. Add the carrots and orange peel. Sauté for 2 minutes. Add the remaining sugar, the cinnamon and sauté for another minute. Add 1 cup of water and bring to a boil , then lower the heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes. The liquid will become syrupy. Drain the carrots and orange peel, and reserve the syrup.

 Bring 10 cups of water to a boil and add the rice, the remaining orange blossom water and a pinch of salt. Boil briskly for 6 – 10 minutes, until the rice has risen to the top and is par boiled. Drain the rice into a bowl. Add the liquid/syrupy mixture into the rice.

 One spoonful at a time – layer the rice back into pot. As you layer, gradually form it into a pyramid shape. Warp the lid with a dish towel ( stops the steam from escaping) and cook for 20 minutes over low heat.

Serve the rice layered with the nut/raisin mixture, and the carrot/orange mixture.