Noodle Saffron Rice Recipe

This Noodle Saffron Rice Recipe is a generous pot of Persian reshteh polo: basmati rice steamed with toasted rice noodles, saffron, tender meat and warm advieh. Raisins and optional dates add the familiar sweet contrast at the table.

Persian noodle saffron rice with lamb raisins dates and fried onion

The original quantities make roughly 10 to 12 servings. Persian rice noodles are thin, lightly toasted strands made for rice; ordinary soft egg noodles will not give the same texture.

Ingredients

1 kg basmati rice
500 g boneless lamb or beef, cut into 3 cm pieces
500 g Persian rice noodles, broken into short lengths
500 g seedless raisins
1/4 teaspoon ground saffron, infused in 2 tablespoons hot water
1 teaspoon Persian advieh or a mixture of cinnamon, cumin and cardamom
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
8 to 10 soft dates, pitted, optional
Salt and black pepper, to taste
5 tablespoons butter or neutral oil, divided
250 ml water

This version is rich in noodles and raisins, as the stored recipe specifies. For a less sweet dish, serve part of the raisin garnish in a separate bowl rather than changing the rice while it steams.

Cook the meat and onions

Heat 1 tablespoon butter or oil in a wide pot. Add the onions and cook over medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes, until golden. Remove one-third for the final garnish.

Add the lamb or beef to the remaining onion and brown the pieces on all sides. Season with black pepper, add the water and cover. Simmer over low heat for 45 to 75 minutes, until the meat is tender. Add small amounts of hot water if the pot dries before it softens.

Season with salt near the end. Keep the meat covered with a few spoonfuls of its reduced cooking juices.

Rinse, soak and parboil the rice

Rinse the basmati 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 4 minutes. The grains should still be firmer than usual because the noodles will join the pot before draining.

Add the rice noodles at the right time

Break the rice noodles into lengths of about 5 cm. Add them to the boiling rice and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring once or twice to separate the strands.

Bite a rice grain and a noodle. Both should be flexible outside but still firm at the centre. Drain immediately. Overcooked noodles turn soft and clump while the pot steams.

Layer the noodle saffron rice

Add 2 tablespoons butter or oil to a clean, heavy pot. Spoon in one-third of the rice-and-noodle mixture. Scatter over some advieh and a few pieces of cooked meat, then repeat the layers. Finish with rice and noodles.

Make several steam channels with the handle of a wooden spoon. Cover and heat over medium-high for 5 to 8 minutes, until steam rises, then wrap the lid in a clean towel and reduce the heat to low.

Steam for 35 to 45 minutes. Keep the towel corners away from the flame or heating element.

Prepare the saffron, raisins and dates

During the final 10 minutes, warm the remaining butter or oil in a frying pan. Add the raisins and stir over low heat for 1 to 2 minutes, just until plump. Remove them before their sugar begins to burn.

Add the pitted dates to the same pan, if using, and cook for about 1 minute per side. Return the reserved fried onion to the pan and turn off the heat.

Lift 2 cups of steamed rice and noodles into a bowl and fold in the saffron infusion. Our saffron-brewing guide explains how to make a concentrated infusion without wetting the grains.

Assemble and serve

Gently lift the remaining rice and noodles onto a warm platter. Place the meat through the middle and spoon the saffron portion over the top. Finish with raisins, dates and fried onion.

Use a wide spoon and a light hand so the long grains and noodles stay distinct. Serve plain yogurt or a sharp herb salad alongside the dish to balance the sweet garnish.