Simple Saffron Rice (Rice cooker recipe)

Bored of eating white rice everyday? How about trying this really quick and easy saffron rice recipe?  Saffron rice is a typical Indian recipe. Saffron is obtained from the dried stigmas of the saffron crocus and these stigmas can only be picked by hand, making saffron the most expensive spice in the world. Fortunately, a few strands of saffron are just enough when cooking, so your box of saffron can go a long way!
Note:
1. Soak your saffron threads in warm/hot water to extract the color.
2. Using Indian saffron threads is best for this recipe because they give a darker red-orange color. Unfortunately, I had only Spanish saffron threads, so I decided to use some turmeric powder to enhance the color!
3. Soaking your rice before cooking will make the rice more “grainy” and prevent it from getting “mushy”. Also, when cooking the rice, there will be no need to add as much water as when normally cooking rice.
4. I used my rice cooker for cooking, but you can use a non-stick pot too. Using a rice cooker is much more convenient though.

Easy Saffron Rice recipe

Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked long-grain rice, rinsed and soaked in water for 20 minutes
pinch of saffron threads, soaked in 1 cup warm water
2 tablespoons butter
5-6 cardamom pods
1 cinnamon stick
3-4 cloves
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
salt

Steps:
1. Turn on the rice cooker and let the rice cooker bowl heat well.
2. Put the butter and allow to melt. Add the cardamom pods, cinnamon sticks and cloves. Let them cook in the melted butter for 1-2 mins or until fragrant.

3. Drain your rinsed and soaked rice. Add it to the rice cooker bowl and cook it until the rice gets dry and is slightly roasted. The rice grains should become separated.

4. Add the turmeric powder and pinch of salt. Mix well until all grains are coated and become yellow.

5. Add the 1 cup of warm water with the saffron threads (the water should be yellow-orange). Close the rice cooker lid and cook until the “Cooked” light is on.
6. Done!