Saffron Rice

If You Read Nothing Else

Cooled-and-reheated rice forms gut-feeding resistant starch. Easily digestible energy source. Pairs naturally with herbs, yogurt, and stews.

Chelo zaferani is the heart of Persian cooking. Long-grain basmati is parboiled, steamed with a crisp golden tahdig (the crisp rice layer at the bottom of the pot), and crowned with saffron-bloomed grains. It's beautiful, but there's more to it: the slow steaming produces resistant starch that feeds the gut.