This spicy rice with chicken or shrimp brings saffron, chilli, mushrooms, tomato and sweetcorn together in one fragrant steamed-rice dish.
The two proteins are alternatives, not a mixture: choose 300 g chicken breast or 300 g peeled shrimp. The vegetable base stays the same, but the protein timing changes so chicken cooks safely and shrimp remains tender.
Ingredients for spicy saffron rice
- 5 cups rice
- 300 g chicken breast or 300 g peeled, deveined shrimp
- 3 tomatoes, peeled and chopped
- 3 fresh red chillies, chopped, plus another whole chilli for the original presentation if desired
- 250 g mushrooms, sliced
- 1 cup canned sweetcorn, drained
- 4 tablespoons fried onion
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon finely ground saffron
- 50 g butter
- 4 medium potatoes
- A little lemon juice for the mushrooms
- Neutral oil, as needed for the vegetables and potatoes
- Salt and ground red pepper, as needed
The earlier ingredient list called for “filled” or “filleted” tomatoes; peeled, chopped tomatoes match the cooking method. Its “French fries = 4 medium” means four medium potatoes, cut and fried for the garnish.
Bloom the saffron and prepare the rice
Put the ground saffron in a small cup and add a little hot water. Leave it for several minutes while the other ingredients are prepared. This spreads the saffron evenly through the filling instead of leaving dry clumps.
Rinse the rice until the water is much clearer, then soak or parboil it according to the variety you are using. The original method calls for drained rice, so stop cooking while the grains are still firm in the centre. Drain well and set aside.
Choose the chicken or shrimp method
For the chicken version
Cut 300 g chicken breast into fingertip-sized pieces. Melt the butter in a wide pan over medium heat and cook the chicken until lightly coloured. Add the fried onion, garlic powder and bloomed saffron, then stir briefly so the pieces are evenly seasoned.
The chicken will continue cooking with the filling and rice, but it must ultimately reach 165°F (74°C) in its thickest piece. Keep the cooked chicken and its utensils away from anything that touched it raw.
For the shrimp version
Pat 300 g peeled, deveined shrimp dry. Melt the butter and cook the shrimp only until they begin to turn opaque, then add the fried onion, garlic powder and bloomed saffron. Stir briefly and take the pan off the heat. Shrimp cooks faster than chicken, so this shorter first stage prevents it becoming rubbery during steaming.
Whichever protein you choose, follow the USDA safe minimum temperature chart: poultry needs 165°F (74°C), while fin fish and shellfish are listed at 145°F (63°C) with shrimp flesh pearly and opaque.
Cook the spicy vegetable mixture
Heat a small amount of oil in a separate wide pan. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook over medium-high heat until the moisture they release has mostly evaporated. Add a small squeeze of lemon juice, then the peeled chopped tomatoes.
Once the tomato liquid has reduced, stir in the chopped red chillies and drained sweetcorn. Season with salt and ground red pepper. Fold this vegetable mixture into the prepared chicken or shrimp and taste carefully; the three chillies already supply heat, so add extra red pepper gradually.
Layer and steam the spicy rice
Put a thin layer of drained rice in a clean heavy pot. Spoon over some of the spicy protein and vegetable mixture, then continue alternating the rice and filling. Finish with rice and form a loose mound rather than packing it down.
Cover the lid with a clean cloth or rice-lid cover, close the pot and steam over low heat for about 30 minutes. Check that the chosen protein has reached its safe temperature before serving. If it has not, continue gently until it does rather than increasing the heat and scorching the rice.
Fry the potatoes and serve
While the rice steams, peel the four medium potatoes if preferred and cut them into slim fries. Rinse away surface starch, dry them thoroughly and fry in batches until golden. Drain and season lightly with salt.
Turn the spicy rice onto a large serving dish and arrange the fried potatoes around it. For the original mountain-shaped presentation, mound the rice in the centre, place a whole red chilli on top and scatter over a little reserved sweetcorn.
Adjusting the heat without losing the saffron
Fresh chillies vary considerably. For a gentler dish, remove their seeds and pale inner ribs before chopping. For more heat, keep them intact and add ground red pepper after the tomato and mushroom mixture has reduced.
The aim is warm, clear spice rather than heat that hides the saffron. Taste the filling before layering it with five cups of rice; once dispersed through the pot, both its salt and chilli will seem milder.
