By Setareh Kiumarsi
Ingredients:
Rice: 2 cups
Apple cider vinegar: 2 teaspoons
Rosewater: 2 teaspoons
Olive oil: as needed
Digestive Spice Mix #1:
Saffron, turmeric, coriander seeds, salt
Digestive Spice Mix #2:
Saffron, turmeric, cinnamon, cumin, rose petals, salt
Digestive Spice Mix #3:
Thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, coriander seeds, salt
Instructions:
First, wash 2 cups of rice thoroughly (at least three times). Then, pour water over the rice so that it covers about one finger above the rice, and add enough salt to make it slightly salty. Let the rice soak for at least one hour.
After one hour, drain the water and pour boiling water over the rice, again covering about one finger above the rice. Turn up the heat and let the rice simmer a little. At the same time, add one of the digestive spice mixes to the boiling water, along with apple cider vinegar, rosewater, and a little olive oil. Adding apple cider vinegar and rosewater helps the rice cook taller and become more aromatic!
After about five minutes, test a grain of rice… you want it neither too raw nor too soft… basically, it should be half-cooked. Once the rice is half-cooked, drain it and pour a little cold water over it.
Now, pour olive oil into the bottom of a pot and heat your digestive spice mix in the oil for a moment. Then add the rice to the pot and mix well with the spiced oil. If you feel the rice is not fully seasoned, sprinkle some spices between layers of rice as you add them.
Cover the pot with a lid and a steam cloth.
Reduce the heat and wait for 20–30 minutes… your spiced rice is ready! Enjoy!
Did you know that when you drain rice, much of its mucous and fattening quality is reduced?! (Steamed rice is good for people who are thin and want to gain weight!)
Did you know that by adding spices to rice, you are adding the element of fire to each grain (which is cold, moist, and mucous), making it easier to digest and reducing its fattening quality?! Instead of the above digestive spice mixes, you can use your favorite combinations… just for every three parts of “warm” spices you use (like saffron, turmeric, cumin, thyme, fennel, galangal, cinnamon, etc.), use one part of “cool” spices (like rose petals, coriander seeds, sumac, unripe grape powder, dried lime, mint, etc.). Adding herbs to the rice, turning it into a fresh chopped vegetable rice, also helps digestion and reduces its fattening quality.
Did you know that Basmati or long-grain rice is lighter and more suitable than Iranian rice for people with obesity issues or imbalanced Kafa or phlegm?!
Please make sure to mention the author, “Setareh Kiumarsi,” if you share or republish this article, which was written with hope for everyone’s health and love.
