Sour Cherry Rice - cooking recipe

Ingredients

3 cups basmati rice
4 tablespoons salt
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
1/2 lb butter (2 sticks)
3/4 teaspoon saffron, crushed finely into powder with pestle
3 cups sour cherry preserves
1 slice pita bread

Preparation

Fill large pot with water; add 2 tablespoons salt and soak rice for two hours; drain.
In large nonstick pot, add 9 cups water, 2 tablespoons salt and pre-soaked rice; bring to boil stirring gently occasionally to prevent rice from sticking; cook until al dente; Drain.
Rinse rice with cold water, then shake colander to remove excess water; set aside.
In skillet, fry onion in 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter until golden; lower flame.
Add saffron and sour cherries to onions; simmer for 15 minutes, being careful not to burn.
Cover bottom of nonstick pot with olive oil.
Separate one piece of pita bread and place it on the bottom of pot.
Spoon thick layer of rice over pita bread; spoon layer of sour cherry preserves over rice, then alternate layers, forming a mound.
Poke holes in rice mixture with handle of spatula to allow steam to rise.
Mix until rice takes on color of preserves.
Melt remaining 11/2 sticks of butter (6 ounces); pour evenly over rice. (If juice from cherries gathers around edges of pot, skim off excess so tadiq at bottom won't be mushy.).
Cover with clean towel and put lid on.
Place pot on medium heat.
When you hear sizzling at the bottom (after about 5 minutes), bring down heat to low. Cook covered for 45 minutes to an hour.