Sour Cherry Rice

Total Time: 2 hrs 45 mins Preparation Time: 45 mins Cook Time: 2 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 3 cups basmati rice
• 4 tablespoons salt
• 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 lb butter (2 sticks)
• 3/4 teaspoon saffron, crushed finely into powder with pestle
• 3 cups sour cherry preserves
• 1 slice pita bread

Recipe

• 1 fill large pot with water; add 2 tablespoons salt and soak rice for two hours; drain.
• 2 in large nonstick pot, add 9 cups water, 2 tablespoons salt and pre-soaked rice; bring to boil stirring gently occasionally to prevent rice from sticking; cook until al dente; drain.
• 3 rinse rice with cold water, then shake colander to remove excess water; set aside.
• 4 in skillet, fry onion in 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter until golden; lower flame.
• 5 add saffron and sour cherries to onions; simmer for 15 minutes, being careful not to burn.
• 6 cover bottom of nonstick pot with olive oil.
• 7 separate one piece of pita bread and place it on the bottom of pot.
• 8 spoon thick layer of rice over pita bread; spoon layer of sour cherry preserves over rice, then alternate layers, forming a mound.
• 9 poke holes in rice mixture with handle of spatula to allow steam to rise.
• 10 mix until rice takes on color of preserves.
• 11 melt remaining 11/2 sticks of butter (6 ounces); pour evenly over rice. (if juice from cherries gathers around edges of pot, skim off excess so tadiq at bottom won't be mushy.).
• 12 cover with clean towel and put lid on.
• 13 place pot on medium heat.
• 14 when you hear sizzling at the bottom (after about 5 minutes), bring down heat to low. cook covered for 45 minutes to an hour.