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Prep time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 8 minutes (boil rice) and 15-20 minutes (cook rice with dill)
Serves: 6 to 8
Here’s my favorite Persian-inspired rice recipe – I love it because of the rich aroma emanating from the dill weed as it cooks. The fava beans and saffron add such rich flavors to this beautiful side dish!
Ingredients:
2 cups basmati rice (rinsed 3 to 4 times in cold water & drained)
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon Persian saffron threads
2 cups frozen fava beans (also called, broad beans)
2 cups chopped fresh dill weed
4 tablespoons vegetable oil (preferably safflower or sunflower oil)
Directions for Boiling Rice & Fava Beans:
1. Place the washed and drained rice in an 8-cup saucepot; add 6 cups cold water.
2. Cover the saucepot and bring rice to a boil; uncover and add 2 teaspoons salt.
3. Cook the rice for 6 minutes.
4. After 6 minutes, taste the rice (it should be al dente or crunchy-tender. If it’s still too hard, cook rice for 1 to 2 more minutes.
5. Using a large, fine-meshed colander, drain the rice.
6. Rinse the rice once under cold water; set the rice in colander over a bowl to drain & cool.
Assembling the Rice with Dill & Fava Beans:
1. Meanwhile, in a small saucepot or kettle, boil 1 cup of water.
2. Transfer boiled water to a pyrex or stainless steel bowl & mix with saffron threads.
3. Set water & saffron aside; the water will look dark yellow or orange.
4. When water has turned dark yellow or orange from the saffron, strain the water into a separate Pyrex or stainless steel bowl.
5. Gently transfer about 1 cup of the cooked & drained rice to the bowl with saffron water; set aside.
6. In a 12-inch, nonstick skillet, add 1/4 cup vegetable oil.
7. Gently spread about 1/3 of the boiled rice evenly over oil at bottom of skillet.
8. Follow with 1/2 of amount of fava beans and 1/2 of amount of chopped dill weed.
9. Continue assembling 1/3 layer of rice, followed by remaining fava beans and dill weed, as above.
10. The rice mound should end with the remaining 1/3 of white rice at the top.
11. Drain the saffron rice and scatter it evenly over the white rice at top of mound.
Finishing the Dill & Fava Rice:
1. Cover the rice in skillet and cook on low heat for 15 minutes.
2. After 15 minutes, using a flat spatula, check bottom of rice. If it is does not look golden brown yet, cook rice on medium-low heat for an additional 5 minutes.
3. Using the spatula, check bottom of rice once more – it should be golden brown.
4. Using a large ladle, scoop rice onto a serving platter; set crispy rice bottom separately on another platter.
5. Serve Dill & Fava Rice immediately as a side dish to meat, poultry, fish or as part of a vegetarian feast!
Text & Photograph ©2023 Nancy DeLucia Real
Nancy DeLucia Real is an art historian and chef. She has led culinary courses at the Italian Cultural Institute and is a member of the Culinary Historians of Southern California. Nancy's gastronomy training took place in the heart of Italy under the tutelage of her grandmother. She has taught international cuisine at Williams Sonoma and Sur la Table Stores. Nancy's art history & culinary courses are ongoing at various institutions. She also teaches private cooking classes. 
