This Chickpea Saffron rice Recipe layers fluffy rice with tender chickpeas, warmly spiced minced meat and fried onion. Saffron is folded through the filling rather than used only as a garnish, so its aroma reaches the whole pot.
If you were looking for saffron rice with peas, note that this recipe uses chickpeas, not green peas. The chickpeas are soaked and cooked first, then added to the meat before the rice is steamed.
Ingredients
- 4 cups basmati rice
- 4 cups cooked chickpeas, drained
- 400 g minced lamb or beef
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons crisp fried onion
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon saffron infusion
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 3 tablespoons neutral oil, plus more for the pot
- 120 ml (1/2 cup) water
Four cups of cooked chickpeas is roughly the yield from 2 cups dried chickpeas. Canned chickpeas can be used after rinsing, but add them only long enough to warm through so they do not become mushy.
Soak and cook dried chickpeas
Put dried chickpeas in a large bowl, cover them with plenty of cold water and soak overnight. Change the water once or twice if convenient. Drain and rinse before cooking.
Place the soaked chickpeas in a pot and cover with fresh water by at least 5 cm. Bring to a boil, skim any foam, then simmer gently for 60 to 90 minutes until tender all the way through. Older chickpeas may take longer. Drain well and measure 4 cups.
Prepare the meat and chickpea filling
Heat the oil in a wide frying pan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until golden. Stir in the turmeric and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute to remove the paste’s raw taste.
Add the minced meat, season with black pepper and break it into small pieces with a spoon. Cook until no pink remains and any released liquid has evaporated. Ground lamb or beef should reach 71°C (160°F); the current endpoint is listed in the official safe minimum temperature chart.
Fold in the cooked chickpeas, crisp fried onion and saffron infusion. Add salt to taste and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, just until the mixture is hot and fairly dry. A wet filling can make the rice sticky.
Parboil the rice
Rinse the rice in several changes of cool water until the water is almost clear. Soak it in well-salted water for 30 minutes, then drain.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the rice and cook for 5 to 7 minutes. Bite a grain: the outside should be soft but the centre should still have a firm white point. Drain immediately and rinse briefly with lukewarm water.
Layer the chickpea saffron rice
Add 2 tablespoons oil to a clean, heavy pot. Spoon in a shallow layer of rice, followed by some of the chickpea and meat mixture. Continue alternating the layers, mounding the rice slightly toward the centre. Finish with rice.
Use the handle of a wooden spoon to make several steam channels down through the mound. Pour the 1/2 cup water around the edge of the pot, keeping the top grains dry.
If you want a deeper saffron note, prepare the infusion according to our saffron-brewing guide and reserve a spoonful to drizzle over the top before serving.
Steam until the grains are separate
Cover the pot and heat over medium-high for 5 to 8 minutes, until steam rises steadily. Wrap the lid in a clean kitchen towel, keeping every corner well away from the flame, and reduce the heat to low.
Steam for 30 to 40 minutes. Do not lift the lid repeatedly; the trapped steam finishes the firm centres of the grains. Turn off the heat and rest the covered pot for 5 minutes before opening.
Serve the rice
Gently lift the layers with a wide spoon rather than pressing them together. Transfer the rice to a warm platter and scatter a little extra fried onion over the top.
Serve with plain yogurt, pickled vegetables or a crisp salad. Because the dish already includes chickpeas and meat, a fresh, sharp side is more useful than another rich sauce.
Practical substitutions
- Canned chickpeas: rinse and drain 4 cups, then add them at the end of the meat cooking.
- Meat-free version: omit the mince and brown 250 g sliced mushrooms with the onion before adding the chickpeas.
- No crisp fried onion: cook the fresh onion a little longer and reserve two spoonfuls for the garnish.
- Leftovers: cool promptly, refrigerate within 2 hours and reheat until steaming throughout.
