Rice pilaf is a wonderful and flexible side dish. You can make it plain, with chicken or vegetable stock; you can add herbs and spices; you can include vegetables like peas carrots, onions, and celery; or you can make it sweet with nuts (cashews are great) and dried fruits like raisins and apricots.
Heat the chicken stock to just below boiling in a small saucepan and add the saffron. Remove from the heat and set aside.
2 ¾ cups chicken stock, 1 pinch saffron
Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté for about 3 minutes until they start to soften. Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds.
3 tablespoons butter, ½ cup onion, 2 cloves garlic
Add the rice to the saucepan and stir for about 2 minutes until the rice is glossy.
1 ½ cups basmati rice
Add the salt, coriander, turmeric, and Aleppo pepper to the saucepan. Stir for about 2 minutes until the rice is coated with the seasonings.
½ teaspoon ground coriander, ½ teaspoon ground turmeric, ½ teaspoon Aleppo pepper
Add the stock to the saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and cool for 10 minutes.
Add the peas and raisins and stir to mix them in. Cover the pan and cook for about 5 minutes until all the stock has been absorbed.
1 cup frozen peas, ½ cup golden raisins
Remove the pan from the heat and let it sit, covered, for 15 minutes.
Fluff the rice with a fork, add the chopped mint, and stir to combine.