Toast the almonds either in the inner pot of the Ninja Foodi or a skillet on the stove. Turn the heat to high and add in the almonds, once the pot or pan is hot, stir the almonds frequently until they begin to brown and you smell the nutty aroma. Turn the heat off and put the toasted almonds in a container for later.
Pressure Cooker Instructions
Add the butter to the inner pot and turn the sear/sauté on high. Break of the vermicelli noodles into pieces about 1½-2" long and add to the pot. Once the butter has melted, turn the temperature down to medium to avoid burning the butter and over toasting the pasta.
Once all the pasta is in and has turned a nice golden color, add the rice and the seasonings. Stir and let the rice toast for about a minute.
Add in the cherry juice and water. Stir. Add in the whole cherries and the chopped green onions. Put the pressure lid on turn the valve to seal. Pressure cook for 1 minute. When the time is up, allow the pot to natural release the pressure for 13 minutes. *The pin may drop prior to the 13 minutes, but leave the lid on the entire 13 minutes so the rice fully absorbs the liquid.
Remove the lid and stir to fluff the rice. Keep the keep warm on to continue to warm the rice and dry it up even more. Taste for seasonings and adjust as needed. Add the chopped mint and toasted almonds.
Transfer to a serving dish. Serve & Enjoy.
Stovetop Directions
***When making this in a skillet or pot on the stove, increase the cherry juice to 1 cup and the water to 1¾ cup***
Melt the butter in a large skillet or pot over medium heat and break the vermicelli into pieces about 1½-2" long. Add to pot and toast in butter. When the vermicelli is starting to turn a golden color, add in the rice and the seasonings. Stir and toast rice for 1 minute.
Add in the cherry juice, water, cherries, and green onions. Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil for 1 minute while stirring. Reduce heat to a simmer for about 10 minutes and then turn off the heat and cover. Let sit for 15-20 minutes or until the liquid has been absorbed. Fluff the rice, add in the toasted almonds and chopped mint. Serve and & Enjoy.