Zarda -Sweet Saffron Rice - Kashmiri Special / Indian Cooking Challenge -March

For this month of Indian Cooking Challenge- ICC,Srivalli has chosen a traditional sweet rice from Kashmiri Cuisine suggested by Vaishali.
This is a flavorful sweet rice with a mild sweet with the richness of nuts and saffron.The original recipe calls for murabha or tutty fruty.As I ran out of tutty frutty,ddidn't use it but the taste and the flavor was awesome.Here goes the recipe....................

  

Ingredients

Ingredient	Quantity
Basmathi rice	2cups
Sugar	1cup
Ghee	3tbs
Almonds/badam	8-10nos.
Pistachios	8-10nos.
Milk	1/4cup
Candied fruits/tutty frutty/murabha	handful
Cinnamon/pattai	2 inch piece
Clove/lavangam	2nos.
Cardamom	2nos.
Yellow food color	2-3 drops
Saffron	4-5 strands

Method

• Soak the basmathi rice in water for 15 minutes,dissolve the sugar in a cup of water and make a sugar syrup,fry the nuts in a tsp of ghee,keep it aside.
• Heat a pan with ghee,add the clove,cinnamon and cardamom.Once it starts smell add the drained rice and fry it for a minute,add a cup of water.Cook it in a medium flame.
• When the water is almost dried add the milk and then food color,cook it covered.Now add the sugar syrup,saffron and half of the fried nuts,cook it till the rice gets cooked and separated.Put off the fire.
• Remove it and garnish with the rest of the nuts and murabha/candied fruits.

Enjoy...........................................................

• Cook the rice in a sow to medium flame to get the rice evenly cooked.
• The amount of sugar given is for a mild seet taste,if you want it make it more sweeter increase the quantity.