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Muhammar
Muhammar (محمر): Bahraini sweet saffron rice with rosewater
Muhammar is a golden, gently sweet rice from Bahrain, cooked with date syrup or sugar, saffron and rosewater, and its natural partner is fried or grilled fish, especially safi or hamour, so that the sweet rice and the salty, crisp fish balance on the same plate. It is a Friday lunch and Ramadan dish in Manama and Muharraq, and each family argues for its own ratio of sweetness. The grains should be separate and glossy with a faint caramel colour, not sticky. The most common error is boiling the rice too long before steaming, which turns it mushy once the sugar goes in. Chef's tip: let a thin crust form on the base during the steam; Bahrainis prize those crunchy sweet bits.
- Total time
- 70 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 14 oz basmati ricerinsed until the water runs clear, then soaked 30 minutes
- 2 tsp saltfor the boiling water
- 4 oz sugaror 100 ml date syrup
- ½ tsp saffron threads
- 2 tbsp rosewater
- 1 tsp ground cardamom
- 4 tbsp ghee
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Crumble ½ tsp saffron threads into 2 tbsp rosewater and leave to steep while the rice soaks.
30 minStep 2: Bring 2.5 litres of water to a rolling boil with 2 tsp salt. Drain 14 oz basmati rice, add it to the pot and boil for 6 minutes, until the grains are long and soft outside but still have a firm white core when bitten. Drain well.
8 minStep 4: Take the pot off the heat, tip in the rice and fold gently with 1 tsp ground cardamom until every grain is coated and pale gold.
Step 5: Drizzle the saffron rosewater and the rest of 2 tbsp ghee over the top. Wrap the lid in a clean tea towel, cover tightly and steam on the lowest heat for 25 minutes, until the grains are tender and a light crust has formed on the base.
25 minStep 6: Fluff with a fork and serve hot, with the crisp bits from the bottom broken over the top, next to fried fish if you like.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 560 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbs
- 105 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does muhammar take?
- About 70 minutes in total: 35 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of basmati rice?
- Any long-grain rice, same amount.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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