Best Golden Pilaf With Apricots Raisins And Almonds Recipes

BASMATI RICE PILAF WITH DRIED FRUITS AND ALMONDS

Steps:

• Place the rice in a medium bowl and add enough water to cover by 2 inches. Using your hands, gently swish the grains to release any excess starch. Carefully pour off the water, leaving the rice in the bowl. Repeat four to five times, until the water runs almost clear. Using a fine mesh strainer, drain the water from rice. Place the strainer over a bowl and set aside.
• Melt the butter in a pot over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring regularly, until softened but not browned, about 4 minutes. Add the cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds longer. Add the rice to the pot, and cook, stirring constantly, for about 3 minutes. Add the water, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until all the liquid is absorbed, 15 to 18 minutes. Off the heat, remove the lid and sprinkle the dried fruit over the rice (do not mix in). Place the lid over the pot and let stand for 10 minutes. Toss in the toasted almonds, fluff the rice with a fork, and serve.

ARMENIAN RICE PILAF WITH RAISINS AND ALMONDS

Steps:

• In a 5- to 6-quart pan over medium heat, melt 4 tablespoons butter. Break or crush the vermicelli into 1-inch lengths. Add the pasta and rice to the butter and stir often until golden, about 5-8 minutes, being careful not to burn the vermicelli.
• Add the broth, allspice and salt and pepper. Bring to a full boil over high heat, then cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until rice is tender to bite, about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a sauté pan over medium heat, melt remaining 1 or 2 tablespoons butter. Add the almonds and stir often until golden, about 5 minutes. Add the raisins and stir until they puff, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Stir peas if using, parsley and lemon juice into rice. Cover and simmer until peas are hot, about 3-4 minutes.
• Pour pilaf into a serving bowl or on a platter and sprinkle with the raisin and nut mixture over the top. (Diced dried dates, figs, apricots or chopped walnuts may also be used in this topping.)

BULGUR PILAF WITH DRIED FRUIT AND NUTS

Steps:

• Place the apricots and prunes in a bowl, cover with water and soak overnight or for several hours. Place a strainer over a bowl, and drain the dried fruit. Cut in thin slices.
• Measure out 2 cups of the soaking water (or add enough water to make 2 cups), and bring to a simmer. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the bulgur, and stir constantly for a few minutes until the bulgur smells toasty. Add the salt, dried fruit and water, and bring to a boil. Boil for five minutes, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for eight to 10 minutes until the water has been absorbed. Remove from the heat, cover with a clean dish towel and place a lid over the towel. Allow the bulgur to sit for 15 minutes.
• Spoon the bulgur into a serving dish, top with the nuts and serve with plain yogurt on the side.

RICE PILAF WITH ALMONDS AND RAISINS

Steps:

• Put the rice in a bowl. Wash in several changes of water. Drain. Let the rice soak in water that covers it generously for 30 minutes. Drain through a sieve and leave in the sieve suspended over a bowl to drip. Pour the oil into a heavy, medium pan (that has a tight-fitting lid) and set over medium-high heat. When hot, put in the cinnamon. Let it sizzle for 10 seconds. Put in the onions. Stir and fry the onions until they start to brown. Add the almonds. Stir until they are golden. Add the raisins. Stir until they are plump, just a few seconds. Add the drained rice and salt. Stir very gently to mix. Add 2 2/3 cups water and bring to a boil. Cover tightly, turn heat to very, very low, and simmer gently for 25 minutes.

APRICOT ALMOND PILAF

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat; cook and stir onion and carrot until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in basmati rice and salt; cook and stir until rice is slightly opaque, about 3 minutes.
• Pour in water; stir to combine. Mix in saffron threads, rose water, apricots, and almonds; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until rice has absorbed the liquid, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and allow pilaf to stand covered for 10 more minutes. Stir before serving.

SAFFRON RICE PILAF WITH APRICOTS AND ALMONDS

Steps:

• Melt butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped onion, ground saffron and cloves and saut&5 minutes. Add rice and stir to coat grains. Mix in chicken stock, dried apricots and currants. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Fluff rice with fork. Add slivered almonds and season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl and serve.

RICE PILAF WITH PISTACHIOS AND GOLDEN RAISINS

Steps:

• In a small heavy saucepan cook the onion with the turmeric and the cardamom in 1 tablespoon of the butter over moderately low heat, stirring, until the onion is softened. Add the rice and cook it, stirring, until it is coated with the butter. Add the broth, bring the liquid to a boil, covered, and simmer the mixture for 17 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender. Stir in the pistachios, the raisins, the scallion greens, the remaining 1/2 tablespoon butter, and salt and pepper to taste.

GOLDEN PILAF WITH APRICOTS, RAISINS AND ALMONDS

Steps:

• Brown almonds in saucepan with olive oil over medium heat.
• Remove almonds and set aside.
• Add onion to the same saucepan and cook for 5 minutes.
• Stir in cinnamon, sazon, salt, cardamom and nutmeg.
• Cook for 1 minute.
• Add rice, cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
• Stir in water, milk, apricots and raisins.
• Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.
• Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes.
• Fluff with a fork, garnish with reserved almonds and serve.