Dried Fruit Saffron Rice Pilaf
A fragrant rice dish with golden saffron, plums, and almonds, traditionally served at Kashmiri gatherings. This Indian-inspired vegetarian recipe, ready in about 38 minutes, pairs basmati rice, saffron threads, dried plums for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 320 calories and feeds 4, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.
Ingredients
- 1 cup, rinsed basmati rice
- 1/2 tsp, soaked in 1 tbsp warm milk saffron threads
- 1/4 cup, chopped dried plums
- 2 tbsp, slivered almonds
- 3 tbsp ghee
- 1 3/4 cups water
- 1/2 tsp salt
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Equipment for this recipe
Tools this recipe's steps call for, with a link to each on Amazon.
Instructions
- Step 1: Heat 3 tbsp ghee in a medium pot over medium heat until melted. Add 2 tbsp slivered almonds and 1/4 cup chopped dried plums, sautéing for 2 minutes until plums soften slightly.
- Step 2: Add 1 cup rinsed basmati rice and stir for 1 minute until rice is coated in ghee. Pour in 1 3/4 cups water and 1/2 tsp salt, then bring to a gentle boil.
- Step 3: Stir in 1/2 tsp saffron (with its soaking milk) and reduce heat to low. Cover tightly and simmer for 18 minutes until rice is tender and water is absorbed.
- Step 4: Remove from heat and let rest, covered, for 10 minutes. Fluff rice gently with a fork before serving.
