From Shiraz, actually. Those Shirazis sure know how to have a good time, right? I’ll spare you the nostalgia blah blah about how my mum used to make this dish with prawns my dad brought from Bandar Abbas, and jump right to the heart of the matter.
Ingredients:
rice
prawns (duh!)
Onion
Raisins (the black ones, “currants” you can get from the bakery section of the supermarket- Canadians put them in muffins and cookies, Iranians on, or in rice. Of course. )
Butter
Spices: Turmeric and cinnamon (and also salt and pepper)
To do:
Chop onion. Let brown gently in melted butter. At some point, when the onions are not quite golden-brown, add the raisins (which you have previously washed and de-stalked). Sprinkle about the spices. Continue stirring- raisins burn easily and turmeric goes bitter if fried too long. Add prawns (which you have deveined and deshelled already). Continue pushing around.
Meanwhile, let rice come to a boil with about a finger of water standing over it. As the water of the rice has almost evaporated, add the rice to the prawn mixture, or the prawn mixture to the rice, whichver. It’s better if you add the rice to the prawns, because you don’t lose the delicious buttery burnt bits sticking to the frying pan.
Add some water to the prawn-rice mixture, continue stirring with a wooden spoon, taking care not mash up the rice or crush the prawns. Turn heat even lower, make sure there is enough water in the pan, put on the lid and let “settle”. The rice should be a rich browny-yellow colour. You may cheat and add a teaspoonful of tomato paste if you like more of a reddish colour, but personally, I think the rice-cinnamon-butter smell is beautiful and needs no improvement.
When the rice is well-cooked (none of your al-dente, “nutty” texture crap for us, thank you), your dish is ready. Enjoy, crying with pleasure.
This is a really, really delicious dish. It’s good for dinner parties and guests, with a nice salad. etc.
I never had the guts to confess I didnt like this!
This and its sister which Pavi had invented: the Rizolo or Rozilo or Ryozo or whatever it was.
OMG- i was about to bring some for you on Sunday, as a special treat!!!! And then i became selfish and thought why- i’ll keep it ALL to myself!!!
Anyway, mine is much better than M’, because I put in the prawns whole, not sliced up into tiny microscopic pieces, and the proportion of rice to prawn is much, much lower.
One day, we will eat proper risotto and we will know the crimes P has committed.
Ah baba recipe nazarin too blogatoon. BORIIIING
Hey Newcomer, I have a suggestion for you: write about that kind cashier guy you’ve had your most DELICATE, pure conversations with… it was really fun.
I saw him a couple of days ago at the supermarket- a bag of hotdogs i was buying, the bag was leaky and no good, and he told me to put it back… (swoon) what a guy!
Dedicate ur blog to him
I KNOW!!!!!