Instant Pot Saffron Rice with Currants and Pine Nuts
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“Yellow rice,” as I called it then, was my dinner request. Just yellow rice! The stand-in name was just about right, at least in this instance, because the rice I so craved was a mix my mom would make from a little foil packet purchased at the store. I’m not sure what exactly was in that mix, though I have a hunch: yellow coloring, natural flavors, and salt. It felt like I could eat that rice for days without getting tired of it.
This version of yellow rice is not that yellow rice. It’s made with Saffron—real saffron— and studded with pine nuts and currants. It’s beautiful, and tastes beautiful too. I could eat it for days without getting tired of it. At first bite, I was immediately transported back to Mom’s yellow rice. It’s a bowl of nostalgia, but also global flavors. It’s vibrant, and homey. And, it’s made in your Instant Pot!
(It seems like as a kid, I often identified foods by their color: get the recipe for grown-up Pink Sauce here).
Instant Pot Saffron Rice with Currants and Pine Nuts
Serves: 6 | Active Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
Directions:
- Turn Instant Pot to sauté setting and heat 1 tablespoon of butter. Add diced onion, and sauté, stirring occasionally, until translucent.
- In a mortar and pestle, grind the saffron so that it is almost a powder—a few larger pieces is OK.
- Add rice, water, remaining 4 tablespoons of butter, saffron, and salt to pot. Stir.
- Secure lid on Instant Pot, and set to “Rice” setting, with the vent in the closed position. Timer should set to 12 minutes.
- When the timer goes off, release the pressure. Add currants, pine nuts, and parsley to the pot. Use a fork or spatula stir everything together, fluffing the rice as you go.
- Serve hot, sprinkled with additional parsley for garnish.
