Rice was both a savory and sweet treat, bought by the 10-pound bag.
Riceparticularly white basmati ricewas life.
To say I was crushed is an understatement.
Photo:Ali Redmond
I wailed to a Persian friend.
My reaction may seem melodramatic, but without rice so much of the food of my cultural heritage disappeared.
Rice flour was a key ingredient in crumbly, rose-scented cookies enjoyed with cardamom-flavored black tea.
Ali Redmond
It is from the Farsi word pollo that the word pilaf is derived.
Good basmati rice, for example, has an almost nutty flavor and aroma.
The substitute I sought had a lot to live up to.
Ali Redmond
At first, I experimented with brown basmati rice.
Plus, the brown rice grains shortened when cooking, retaining a chewy texture.
Since lightness is a key to Persian pollows, brown rice wasnt a good substitute.
Like brown rice, quinoa is dense in mineral micronutrients.
But the real jackpot was how it behaved in a pollow: Quinoa cooks up light and fluffy.
But substituting quinoa for basmati rice in baghali pollow required adapting the dish from its traditional method.
The dish is then tightly covered and allowed to steam over very low heat until the rice is cooked.
Now thats something to live for: comfort food unlocked, all while maintaining a healthy prediabetes diet.
Set aside until the ice melts, about 45 minutes.
Heat a large pot over medium heat.
Add oil and onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 4 to 5 minutes.
Add chicken, salt, turmeric, cumin and pepper; mix well.
Add broth and 1 tablespoon reserved saffron water.
Add quinoa, dill, parsley, chives and garlic to the pot.
Stir to combine, then stir in beans (or edamame).
Cover tightly and let stand for 5 minutes.
Fluff with a fork.
Stir in the remaining saffron water before serving.
Garnish with more herbs, if desired.
- Daily Values (DVs) are the recommended amounts of nutrients to consume each day.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient.
