Jeweled Rice: The Most Beautiful Way To Brighten Any Meal
Gorgeous and truly bejeweled with a host of colorful pieces of dried fruit and fresh orange peel, jeweled rice brings a brilliant ray of sunshine to the dinner table. In Iran, jeweled rice—or javaher polow—is traditionally served at weddings and other, similarly blow-out celebrations and we can see why! The dazzling, gem-like colors of the fruits and nuts dotting a pot of generously spiced rice, tinted yellow from the turmeric, just feels so festive. But, just because it’s often served as part of a once-in-a-lifetime feast doesn’t mean you should limit yourself to only making it sometimes. We’ve found that jeweled rice goes with so many things! Its sweetness and warm spice brings a lot of excitement to otherwise simple meals, making it ideal for serving to company, or even just your own household on a night that calls for a meal that’s just a bit more exciting than spaghetti.
What’s In Jeweled Rice?
In our jeweled rice recipe, we’ve made some allowances in favor of using ingredients that are easily available—in other words, we’re skipping the dried barberries that are a traditional ingredient in Persian jeweled rice. These tart little dried berries are a classic jeweled rice ingredient, but they can be hard to find. Instead, we used a blend of dried fruits called the Traina Foods All-American blend, which has sun-dried peaches, dried apples, dried cranberries, golden raisins, and dried blueberries. Plenty of sweet, colorful, tart jewels, no wild goose chases! Here’s everything you’ll need to make this easy jeweled rice recipe:
- Orange zest
- Sugar
- Raw pistachios
- Sliced almonds
- Shallot
- Basmati rice
- Spices: turmeric, cumin, cinnamon, allspice
- A blend of your favorite dried fruits
How To Make Jeweled Rice
So, when we say this is an easy jeweled rice recipe, we do mean it! But it’s not zero work. If you’re looking for zero work, plain steamed rice is probably a better way to go. But for just a bit of work—not a ton—you can have a really show-stopping side dish. Our jeweled rice recipe is also a bit easier than most, and the payoff is certainly worth the effort. Here’s how to make it:
- Candy the orange peel. Boil the zest in sugar water, drain.
- Dry-toast the almonds and pistachios until slightly golden.
- Sauté shallots, then add the basmati rice to the shallots and sauté.
- Time for spices! Add the salt, turmeric, cumin, cinnamon, allspice to the pan.
- Pour in water and the orange peels, and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in the dried fruit and nuts.
- Pop the lid back on for 10 more minutes.
- Serve!
What To Serve With Jeweled Rice
A dish this complex in flavor doesn’t go with everything, but it is more versatile than you might imagine. With its bright colors and textures, not to mention that lovely hint of sweetness, it’s an easy partner for simply cooked foods or, of course, many Middle Eastern dishes. We think it’d be lovely served with:
- Easy Harissa Chicken
- Za'atar Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner
- Whole Roast Chicken with Carrots
- Salmon en Papillote (Salmon in Parchment)
Tools You’ll Need:
A Side Dish Fit for Royalty
And also everyone else! If you make our jeweled rice recipe, let us know how you like it! Share a photo and tag us on Instagram using @themodernproper and #themodernproper so that we can see your stuff! Happy eating!
This sponsored post is written by TMP on behalf of Traina Foods. The opinions and text are all ours. Thank you for supporting the brands we love.
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