Saffron rice chopped pistachio nuts. Similar other dishes exist in other parts of Western Asia. Saffron rice Saffron rice is a dish made from saffron, white rice and also usually vegetable bouillon. Saffron rice is found in the cuisines of many countries (in one form or another). The recipe is similar to plain cooked rice with addition of ingredients. Saffron rice is a dish in the cuisine of Seychelles. In India and Pakistan, plain saffron rice is cooked with joha rice or Basmati rice, saffron, vegetable bouillon, ghee, and bay leaves. In Iran, India, and Pakistan, sweet saffron rice called "zarda" is
History of saffron Alexander the Great and his forces during their Asian campaigns. They mixed saffron into teas and dined on saffron rice. Alexander personally used saffron sprinkled in warm bath water, taking after Cyrus the Great. Much like Cyrus, he believed it would heal his many wounds, and his faith in saffron grew with each treatment. He even recommended saffron baths for the ordinary men under him. The Greek soldiers, taken with saffron's perceived curative properties, continued the practice after they returned to Macedonia. Various conflicting accounts exist that describe saffron's first arrival in South and East Asia. The first of these