This recipe is a happy accident, born from a simple trip to the farmer's market, where fresh green beans sparked an immediate craving for saffron rice with crispy fried onions. As I was bringing this vision to life, a slight mishap in the kitchen—a perfectly (un)planned char at the bottom of the rice—transported me straight back to my childhood. It was a familiar fight at the dinner table, a joyful scramble for the 'makokoto' – those coveted, crunchy, golden-brown bits of rice that everyone adored.
Vegan, nut free, soy free, gluten free | Serves 2 | MAIN
Ingredients:
- 300g green beans (fresh or frozen)
- 1 onion
- 5-6 saffron stigma
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 150g basmati rice
- Salt and pepper
- A pinch of oregano
- 50g peas
- Crispy fried onions
Steps:
1.If using fresh green beans, wash them and trim the edges. Then cut them in small pieces.
2.Cut the onion in small cubes.
3.Add the saffron stigma in a small bowl, and cover with a bit of warm water, and let it aside.
4.In a wide pan on a medium heat, add the oil along with the onions and a pinch of salt and sauté for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5.In the meantime, rinse and drain the rice 3-4 times, or until the water comes out of it clear.
6.Then add the green bean pieces into the pan, and sauté them for 2-3 minutes.
7.Add the rice, season with salt, pepper and oregano and sauté it for a minute before you add the saffron mixture plus 300ml of boiling water.
8.Lower the heat, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Then uncover and add the peas on top of the rice, cover the pan and let them steam for 2 minutes.
9.While the peas are cooking, since the rice and all the water has been evaporated, is creating a crispy layer in the bottom - makokoto as we call it in my family.
10.Turn off the heat, and with a wooden spoon mix the rice, scraping the crispy bits from the bottom and mixing them into the rice.
11.Serve it with crispy fried onions as a main or serve it with vegan schnitzel and hummus or tofu in a spicy red sauce.
Enjoy!
