Bahraini Sweet Rice (Muhammar)

UmmBinat's Note:

Modified from The Complete Middle East Cookbook By Tess Mallos. This is a beautiful accompaniment to Kuwaiti Curried Chicken (Quwarmah Ala Dajaj).

• Total Time: 34 mins
• Prep Time: 8 mins
• Cook Time: 26 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 3

Yield: 3.0

• ¼ teaspoon saffron thread
• 3 cardamom pods , cracked
• 1 ½ tablespoons rose water (I prefer the Iranian ones superior)
• 1 ½ cups white basmati rice
• 5 cups water
• salt
• 1⁄3; cup white sugar , or
• 1⁄3; cup honey (I like the taste with sugar & honey but you can use all honey or traditional dibs, date molasses)
• ¼ cup butter or ¼ cup ghee

Directions:

1. In a small bowl or Arabian coffee cup (perfect size) put saffron, rose water and the cardamom.
2. Wash the white Basmati rice until the water runs clear.
3. In a large heavy pot boil the water.
4. Stir in salt and rice and return water to a boil stirring occasionally.
5. Boil uncovered for 8 minutes.
6. Drain.
7. Melt the butter or ghee in the same pan the rice was cooked. Add the rice back in with sugar and or honey.
8. Sprinkle the rose water and spices on top of the rice.
9. Using the end of a wooden spoon, make 3 small holes in the rice.
10. Cover the pan with a paper towel and place lid tightly on top.
11. Cook over low heat about 20 minutes, until done. (I personally leave the dish on one of the vents from the oven to my stove which is underneath when the oven is preheated at 325F until serving up to 2 hours later).
12. Please try this dish with Kuwaiti Curried Chicken (Quwarmah Ala Dajaj) because they go extremely well together.
13. Enjoy.

Reviews

[mary winecoff]

My children have never had rice made this way and were quite leery of it at first. After a few bites they decided that they enjoyed it! Made with sugar and ghee. Made for 1-2-3 Tag.

[Cookgirl]

All those wonderful flavors coming together as one! This recipe has some of my most favorite spices, too. Used local honey, local butter and unbleached white sugar. Very delicious! Served with Turkish meatballs, za'atar rolls and a simple tossed spinach salad. Thank you! The house smells lovely!