Syrian Sweet Rice with Caramel and Cardamom

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A traditional Syrian sweet rice cooked until each grain turns a deep amber from caramelized sugar, perfumed with warm cardamom and cinnamon. It is most often served as a companion to fried or grilled fish in coastal Syrian households, where the sweet-spiced rice balances the savory seafood.

Nutrition Facts

Per serving (estimated)

• 370 kcalCalories
• 10 gFat
• 1.5 gSaturated Fat
• 63 gCarbs
• 1.5 gFiber
• 18 gSugar
• 5 gProtein
• 220 mgSodium
• 110 mgPotassium
• 35 mgCalcium
• 1.2 mgIron
• 0 mgVitamin C
• 0 mcgVitamin A

Ingredients

For the sweet rice

• 2 cups (370 g) basmati rice, rinsed and soaked 20 minutes
• 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) neutral oil or ghee
• 3 cups (720 ml) hot water
• 5 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
• 1 cinnamon stick (about 2 inches)
• 1 small bay leaf
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/3 cup (50 g) golden raisins
• 2 tablespoons slivered almonds, toasted, for garnish

Directions

1. Drain the soaked rice well and set aside so it is ready to add at the right moment.
2. Heat the oil or ghee in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the sugar and stir constantly with a wooden spoon for 5 to 7 minutes until it melts, foams, and turns a deep amber color; do not let it smoke or burn.
3. Immediately pour in the hot water (it will hiss and bubble up) and add the cardamom, cinnamon stick, bay leaf, and salt. Stir until the hardened caramel dissolves completely into the liquid.
4. Stir in the drained rice and the golden raisins. Bring the pot back to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to the lowest setting and cover with a tight-fitting lid.
5. Cook undisturbed for 22 to 25 minutes, until all the liquid has been absorbed and the grains are tender and evenly tinted a warm caramel color.
6. Remove from the heat, keep the lid on, and let the rice rest and steam for 10 minutes so the grains finish setting and separate easily.
7. Discard the cinnamon stick and bay leaf. Fluff gently with a fork, transfer to a wide serving platter, and scatter the toasted almonds over the top before bringing to the table.

Cook’s Notes

• Watch the sugar like a hawk during caramelizing: it goes from perfect amber to acrid burnt in under 20 seconds, so pull the pot off the heat the moment it smells toasty.
• For the deepest color, briefly toast the drained rice in the hot caramel for about 30 seconds before adding the water; this gives an even richer hue throughout.
• In Aleppo and the Syrian coast this dish is most often plated beneath fried whole sardines or grilled sea bass, with extra lemon wedges on the side.
• A pinch of saffron threads bloomed in 2 tablespoons of warm water and stirred in with the rice gives an even more luminous golden tone and subtle floral note.
• If the caramel seizes and hardens when the water hits, simply keep stirring over gentle heat; it will smooth back out as it warms through.

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