Moroccan Rice
Golden basmati rice, tangy dried fruit, and warming spices come together in this Moroccan rice recipe—a fast, fragrant 1-pot stunner that always delivers.
Servings: 8 Cups
Calories: 260kcal
Cost: $4
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups aged basmati rice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 8 threads saffron
- ⅛ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 cup onion diced
- ¼ cup barberries or dried currants
- ½ cup dried apricots chopped
- 2 cinnamon sticks or 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 ¼ cups water
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 ¼ teaspoons salt or to taste
Optional garnishes:
- Pistachios toasted and chopped
- Almonds toasted and chopped
- Additional apricots chopped
- Parsley chopped
Instructions
- Submerge the rice in a bowl of cool water and squeeze it in your hands to release starch.
- Drain and rinse the rice in a fine-mesh strainer under cool water until the water runs clear. Let it drain and dry for a few minutes.
- Set a wide pot over medium heat and add the olive oil. After 90 seconds, when the oil is hot, add the cumin seeds and onions and stir-fry for 4-5 minutes until the onions are golden.
- Add the drained rice, saffron, turmeric, ground cardamom, cinnamon barberries and apricots. Stir for 1 minute to coat the onions evenly in the spices.
- Pour in the water and add the salt and sugar. Bring to a boil over high heat.
- Once boiling, cover with a tight-fitting lid, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 17 minutes without lifting the lid.
- Remove from the heat and let the pot rest, covered, for 10 minutes. Uncover and gently fluff the rice with a fork.
- If using garnishes, top with toasted pistachios, toasted almonds, chopped apricots, and parsley before serving.
Notes
🚿 Rub-a-Dub Grains:
Soak, swish, and rinse the rice until the water runs clear. That’s how you avoid sticky clumps and get those fluffy, separate grains instead.
🔥 Toastbusters:
Let the onions and cumin get deep golden, not just pale. That rich base is where the whole dish starts showing off.
🥷 Steam-ven Seagal:
Keep the lid sealed and your curiosity in check. Steam is doing the work, don’t let it out too early, or you’ll miss out on perfect texture.
Nutrition
Calories: 260kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 373mg | Potassium: 188mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 298IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 1mg