My Grandma’s Famous Iraqi Red Rice
Equipment
- Medium Non-Stick Pot or Pan with tight fitting lid
- Heat Diffuser If you do not own a heat diffuser, you can use the flat lid of a large steel pot or a large sheet pan, making sure they are bigger than the pot you are using to cook the rice. You can also use a sheet pan.
Ingredients
- 2 cups basmati rice
- 2 cups water plus another 1/2 cup
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 3 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ large yellow onion thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons pine nuts
Instructions
- Place the basmati rice in a medium-sized bowl and cover completely with water so that there is about an inch of water on top of the rice. Let soak for 1 hour, then drain.
- Place water, tomato paste, half the avocado oil, and the kosher salt in a medium-sized non-stick sauce pot or pan (use a large pot/pan if doubling the recipe). Bring to a simmer over high heat, then add the soaked rice and bring to a simmer again. Cover and turn to low heat. Cook for about 10 minutes, or until the rice just absorbs the water.
- Take the rice out of the pot/pan and put into a large bowl. Taste for seasoning and add additional salt, if needed. Put remaining avocado oil back into the same pot you cooked the rice in, making sure the entire surface inside the pot is well oiled, even the sides. Then put in the sliced onion and pine nuts, spreading them out evenly over the bottom of the pot. Cover with the cooked rice and even out the top.
- Place the pot/pan over medium-low heat on top of a heat diffuser. This will allow the rice to crust on all sides without burning the bottom. Cover and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour, rotating the pot every 15 minutes for even heat on all the different sides, until crust is formed, You can tell by looking at the ring of rice on the surface of the pot/pan.
- When ready to serve, take a round serving dish and place it facing down on top of the pot. Using oven mitts, hold the bottom of the plate with one hand and the pot handle with the other. Flip the pot and the plate together so that the pot is on top of the plate, and place them both on the counter. Lift the pot to reveal an evenly crusted cake of rice. Serve right away.
Notes
For those of you who like to do things ahead of time, read here. Once you have finished crisping the rice, after the 45 minute cooking time, you don't have to serve it right away. You can let it sit on the counter for up to 3 hours, and then when ready place the entire pot, covered, in the oven to reheat. My recommendation would be a 300°F oven set to bake, for 20-30 minutes.
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