Zarda Pulao ( Sweet saffron pilaf with nuts and currants)

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Wish you all a happy new year ! May this year bring lots of good food and good health to you and your loved ones !!

It was busy 2010 for me. Work, home and our precious toddler playing major roles. I revived this blog and have been at it till now. Your kind words , comments and encouragements have kept me going. Thank you !.

 We welcome every new year with a sweet something in the kitchen. It was a tradition started by my mom and I follow it too. 

This year I made this Zarda Pulao or Sweet Saffron pilaf with currants and nuts for lunch. Its not hefty as the name suggests. In fact its light, slightly sweet with a nice crunch from the nuts. A perfect side dish at a lunch/dinner or  a snack on its own.

Zarda Pulao ( Sweet saffron pilaf with currants and nuts )

1C basmati rice ( I used sona masuri rice since was out of basmati )

2C water

3/4C sugar ( I used turbinado sugar. You can use brown or white sugar )

1 2-inch stick cinnamon

10 cardamom (slightly crushed to open the pods)

1tbsp ginger, grated

 pinch of saffron

2 tbsp milk

15 almonds cut

3tbsp of golden raisins

3tbsp of black currants ( can substitute with more raisins )

2tbsp pistachios

2tbsp of ghee/oil

• Microwave the saffron for 20s and crush with the back of the spoon. Add milk and set aside.
• Wash the rice and allow to drain for 20min. Then dry roast the rice until the grains are crisp. Set aside.
• In a heavy bottomed pan combine the cinnamon,cardamom.Allow the cinnamon to unfurl and release the aroma. 
• Then add the ginger and the stir so that it does not burn.
• Add the currants and the nuts and  then the rice. Add the water.
• At this point I transferred the whole thing in a rice cooker and set it to cook.
• When the rice was half cooked ( after around 10 min ) add the sugar,saffron and some water if the rice tends to burn. 
• Serve warm .

This is another recipe from the Indian Home Cooking book by Suvir Saran. The author loved the way the saffron coats the rice unevenly. Well we loved it too.