The use of fruits and other sweets in main dishes was a basic way of cooking in the medieval
Baghdadi and Iranian kitchens. Strangely, today the cuisine of Morocco in the western edge of the Arab World still combines sweet and savory while in the eastern Arab World it is only found in a few places. This dish of sweetened rice, a specialty of Bahrain, though popular in all of the Arab Gulf countries, is one of the few sweet main dishes that remain in the Gulf region. It goes well with all types of fried fish.
SERVES: 4
PREP TIME: 15 minutes
STANDING TIME: 35 minutes
COOKING TIME: 20 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 cup (200 g) uncooked Basmati or other
- white long-grain rice, soaked for 5 minutes, thoroughly rinsed and drained (see page 24)
- 6 tablespoons date syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 cups (1 liter) water
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon rosewater
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- Generous pinch of saffron dissolved in 2 tablespoons water
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Place the rice, 3 tablespoons of the date syrup, 1/4 teaspoon of the cardamom, cumin, salt and water in a medium saucepan with a lid and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 10 minutes. Drain the rice and set aside.
- Pour the olive oil into the same saucepan you used to cook the rice. Set over medium heat and, when hot, add the drained rice, rosewater, the remaining date syrup and cardamom. stir continuously over medium heat for 2 minutes. Stir in the butter and sprinkle on the dissolved saffron. Turn off the heat, cover, and allow to cook in its own steam for 30 minutes. Serve warm.
