When creating a Rosh Hashanah menu, I’m always thinking about balance. We eat so many sweet foods to celebrate the Jewish New Year, which is a wonderful tradition– but it can also be overwhelming. Honey, apples, tzimmes, cake, kugel… it’s a lot of sweetness.
That’s why I love serving saffron rice as a Rosh Hoshanah side dish. The subtle, savory saffron flavor compliments all the sweet, rich flavors of the Rosh Hashanah holiday. It tastes buttery, even though it’s dairy free. It’s super easy to make for a large crowd, and takes less than 45 minutes from start to finish. It’s also very pretty and festive.
When my friend Farah taught me some of her family’s Persian Jewish recipes last year, she gave me a tip that helps to open up the flavor of the saffron spice. She suggested soaking the spice in hot water for a few minutes before adding it to the dish.
I now do this when I make saffron rice, and it makes a big difference on flavor. The rice becomes rich with saffron flavor and aroma.
Here are three more important tips:
#1: Invest in good quality saffron. I say invest, because saffron can be very pricey. You only use a small amount, but you also get a very small amount in most bottles. If a bottle of saffron threads costs less than $10, it’s probably not worth buying. I don’t recommend the bag full of saffron that costs $5… it’s not the stuff you want, and it won’t give you the flavor you need.
#2: Don’t omit the salt… the combination of salt, saffron, and caramelized onions gives this rice a rice, buttery flavor. You won’t believe there’s no dairy when you taste it!
#3: Buy white basmati rice; don’t substitute long grain rice or brown rice. The flavor and texture won’t be the same.
If you’d like to make this dish pareve or vegan, you can use water in the place of chicken stock. I prefer the chicken stock because it adds a lot of flavor to the rice. If you do use water, add an extra pinch of salt to make up for the salt in the chicken stock.
We eat saffron rice all year round, particularly during the winter months, because it’s both healthy and cozy– it’s the kind of comfort food that is good for you. It’s also gluten free if you use a certified GF chicken stock. Enjoy!!
Recommended Products:
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Saffron Rice
Ingredients
- 1/4 teaspoon good quality saffron threads
- 1/4 cup hot water
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3/4 cup minced yellow onion
- 2 cups white basmati rice
- 3 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock (if using vegetable stock, choose a golden colored stock such as "no chicken" broth)
- 3/4 teaspoon salt (if using a low sodium stock, adjust salt to 1 tsp)
Instructions
- Take 1/8 tsp saffron threads and put them in a spice mortar. Grind the spice with a pestle to a powdery consistency.Add the other 1/8 tsp saffron threads to the mortar. Do not crush these remaining threads.
- Pour 1/4 cup of hot water into the mortar. Let all of the saffron soak for 5 minutes. This will open up the flavor of the spice.
- Meanwhile, sort your basmati rice and rinse in a colander. Drain.In a large heavy pot, heat extra virgin olive oil over medium. Add the minced onion to the pot and sauté for about 10 minutes, stirring very frequently, until the onion is very soft and begins to caramelize.
- Add rinsed rice to the pot and sauté for one minute longer, mixing the rice together with the cooked onion.
- Pour the yellow soaked saffron liquid evenly across the top of the rice.
- Add chicken or vegetable stock and salt to the pot. Bring to a boil, stir. Bring back to a boil for 30 seconds.
- Cover the pot and reduce heat to low. Let the rice cook for 20 minutes. Turn off the heat, but keep pot covered, and continue to let the rice sit and steam in the covered pot for 10 minutes longer.
- Fluff the rice with a fork before serving, stirring well to break up the rice and incorporate the cooked onion.
NOTES
Nutrition
Finally a simple recipe simply explained. I can’t wait to try it. One question; i don’t have a spice mortar, what else could I use?
If to using chicken or vegetae stock will it alter the flavor, meaning take way from the flavor of the saffron?
Hi Lisa, you can make the recipe without crushing the strands, just be sure to let them soak in warm water for 15 minutes instead of 5. Crushing the strands allows them to release flavor more quickly; it will also intensify the yellow color of the rice. However, it isn’t necessary if the strands are given ample time to soak in the water. Enjoy!
Well, the saffron I bought cost $5.99. So I guess I have my answer.
The label says Spanish saffron. Is that the same as Mexican saffron?
I guess I’ll have to a special market to find what I need. Thanks for your help.
Is there anything else I should know?
Yvette, Spanish saffron is the same as Mexican saffron– so yes, there’s your answer. 🙂 Real saffron is pricey, but a little goes a long way. Depending on where you live, you may be able to find true saffron at a larger grocery chain (like Ralphs) or a gourmet or specialty grocer (Whole Foods, Middle Eastern markets). The main thing that distinguishes the real saffron from the other is price. Expect to pay $10 or more for a very small amount of true saffron.
I just made this recipe and I used saffron that I purchased at trader Joe’s. But it didn’t come out with the flavor I expected. It had an old, plasticy taste.
I’m not sure why. Can someone answer? Thanks.
Hi Yvette– how much did the saffron you bought cost? If it was not very expensive, it was not true saffron but likely Mexican saffron which is actually made from safflower. The flavor is very different from saffron and I do not find it at all satisfactory. Good saffron costs over $10 for even the smallest package.
I’m just mad about Saffron, and Saffron’s mad about me! Great side with seafood along with some black beans!
Thanks! I’m making this for a side with Christmas Dinner. You can order saffron from Iran on line:) It is amazing!
Tori this rice looks delicious. I like that you’ve put in the effort to include a picture at each step. Now, to go find Saffron (I live in South Africa)
I bought some really good Saffron powder in tiny packets from Fairway. It’s the good kind. How much of that should I use?
I made this for Rosh Hashanah dinner, in lieu of the ever present potato. (I love potatoes, but wanted something a little different.) I’ve never used saffron before, so this was a fun experiment. I have to admit to burning the rice a bit on the bottom (I usually do, oh well), but the rest was delicious- warm, savory, with a full, rich flavor. I will definitely love to have this again, especially with the (hopefully) colder months ahead. Thanks!
You’re welcome Gretchen. I have to admit this is my favorite go-to side dish because it is so easy, so tasty, and it goes with so many different things!
I love this rice!i made it about a month ago and I’m making it right now! Very easy and flavorful. Thank you!
Me too! It’s one of my go-to sides because it compliments so many dishes.
Thanks for this elegant recipe. I see it coming to fruition as I write. I can see the caramelized onions on top of the beautifully yellowed rice! Another 5-10 minutes methinks.
I added Campbell’s Vegetable Stock stock instead of water to make it vegan.
When you say a pinch, do you mean a couple of threads of saffron? A pinch would use up half the bottle. Love the pictures you show with each step. Wish all cookbooks did it that well. Thank you.
Thanks Rick! I use about 10-15 threads per pinch. Enjoy!
My friend brought a container of saffron back from Iran and gave to my wife and me. We have never even tasted saffron. He says to crush the saffron (about 10 seeds) and soak it in hot water for two hours. Can’t wait to try this rice with shrimp. Thanks.
Looks like a good recipe to try : ) Just wanted to share that i found my little bottle of saffron threads at costco for $15. Can’t say that i’ve made anything good with them yet(my fault), so i can’t say if i recommend or not.
Hi Tori, I will be making this for our Pesach seder. I plan on adding currants to it. Do you have a suggestion on how much to add to this recipe? 1/2 cup, 1 cup, etc?
LOVE your story, and the rice dish sounds wonderful. Can you tell me how much tumeric I would need to use in place of the saffron? I’m financially strapped right now and cannot afford the spice. I understand the flavor will not be same, but would still like to try.
Use 1/2 teaspoon turmeric in place of the saffron. Once you have sauteed the onions, lower the heat, add the turmeric and infuse it into the onion and oil mixture for at least 30-45 seconds. Then carry on with the recipe. Increase your chicken stock to 4 even cups.
Saffron rice looks fabulous and flavourful
Thank you so much Tori, that was the best rice I have cooked ever (and the first time I used saffron). I am glad I have found your blog. Shana Tova u Hatima Tova!
So happy you liked it Andreo!
This is very lovely. If you are making a vegetarian/dairy meal, you can add some butter along with the oil (and ideally, some vegetable stock) instead of the chicken stock.
Joan Nathan (someone I very much admire in terms of food and food/social/family history, alongside Claudia Roden, and I’m not even Jewish) was so kind as to reply to me about her book on Jewish cuisines in France, from the ancient Jewish communities along the Rhine and the Mediterranean shores, later Ashkenazi and then Sephardic immigrants, and classic and homestyle French cuisine adapted to kosher laws.
Real Spanish saffron, like real Iranian or Italian saffron, will rarely come in a bag. However, some shops (mostly “ethnic”) are much cheaper than others. Saffron is very expensive by weight, but a tiny bit goes a long way.
I had the fortune and got real iranian saffron and used just a really tiny amount of it. It`s astonishing how much color and flavor is in those tiny saffron things (what is the correct english term for it?).
Made turkey “schnitzelim” with Saffron rice.
Thanks for the recipe, Tori. It was a hit at my Rosh Hashanah dinner last night! I was able to make it the day before and reheat it in the oven with a little chicken broth added for moisture. It was delicious!!