The finely juilienned lemon rind adds a surprising amount of citrus aroma to the rice.

This little zesting tool will give you super fine ribbons of pure zest, with none of the bitter white part. I love this tool and use it a lot.

I chose apricots, tart cherries and figs, but you could also use cranberries, golden raisins, goji berries, or the authentic Middle Eastern barberries, if you can find them.

I discovered a new easy way to separate the seeds from a pomegranate…you slice part way into the fruit, and then pull it apart into two. Then slice part way into each half and pull them apart into four pieces. Then, fill a large bowl with water and, under water, gently pull apart each quarter, nudging out the seeds with your fingers. The seeds will fall to the bottom and the pith will rise to the top…no mess!

Think about this rice dish for your holiday tables, it would make a spectacular vegetarian side dish.

Some other stunning vegetarian and vegan side dishes ~

Reader Rave ~ “OMGoodness!

I just made this for supper tonight.

OMGoodness!

It’s out of this world good!

Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!!” ~ Maija

Add to Your Recipe BoxGo to Your Recipe Box Print 3.52 from 72 votes Persian Jeweled Rice Persian Jeweled Rice is a spectacular rice pilaf topped with colorful gem-like fruits and nuts. This popular Middle Eastern wedding dish is a celebration in itself ~ it's gluten free, vegan, and incredibly delicious! Prep Time 20 minutes Cook Time 22 minutes Yield 4 -6 servings Ingredients 1/2 tsp saffron threads

2 Tbsp butter or coconut oil

1/4 tsp fennel seeds

1.4 tsp cumin seeds

a rounded 1/8 tsp cinnamon

a rounded 1/8 tsp cardamom

a rounded 1/8 tsp allspice

1 medium onion diced

1 1/2 cups basmati rice rinsed well

2 bay leaves

finely julienned rind of 1 lemon

1/4 cup dried tart cherries

1/4 cup dried Turkish apricots diced

1/4 cup dried figs diced

1/4 cup slivered almonds toasted

1/4 cup pistachios toasted

seeds of 1 pomegranate for garnish Instructions Mix the saffron threads in 2 1/4 cups of hot water, Set aside.

Melt the butter in a large skillet and saute the fennel and cumin seeds until they are fragrant, just a minute or two. Add the cinnamon, cardamom and allspice and stir to combine. Add the onion and saute over low heat until the onion is softened, about 10 minutes.

Add in the rice and saute it for a minute or 2 with the spices and onion.

Pour in the saffron infused water, along with the bay leaves and lemon rind. Stir to combine, season with salt and fresh cracked black pepper.

Add in the fruit and nuts, stir to combine, and cover the skillet with a tight fitting lid. Cook on low to medium heat for about 12 minutes, then turn off the heat and let it sit, covered, for another 10 minutes. Note: check your rice after 12 minutes, and if it's not tender, let cook a few minutes more.

When the rice is done, fluff it, remove the bay leaves, and spoon onto a large platter. Scatter the pomegranate seeds on top to garnish. Notes

I should also note that a more traditional way of making this rice includes a crusted layer of rice at the bottom. It’s a more involved method which you can see I used heaping 1/4 teaspoons when I measured out my spices. You can adjust to your taste. Keep some extra fruit and nuts aside so you can sprinkle them, along with the pomegranate seeds, across the rice in the final presentation.I should also note that a more traditional way of making this rice includes a crusted layer of rice at the bottom. It’s a more involved method which you can see here Try this same flavor profile with other grains such as quinoa, farro, or cracked wheat.

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