Basmati rice cooked with sugar and aromati spices like saffron, cloves and cardamom. This saffron rice is rich, fragrant and indulgent.
- 1/2 cup basmati rice (soaked for 30 minutes)
- 3/4 cup water or milk for cooking the rice
- 3 pinches saffron strands
- 6 to 8 cloves
- 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
- 1/3 cup sugar (use 1/2 cup if you want it more sweet)
- 1/2 tsp rose water (optional)
- 1 tbsp chopped cashews
- 1 tbsp almond slivers
- 1 tbsp raisins
- 1 tbsp chopped pistachios
- 1 tbsp ghee / neutral tasting oil
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Add the soaked basmati rice, oil/ghee, saffron strands, cloves and water or milk to your Instant pot. Cook on manual high for 5 minutes and release pressure after 8 minutes. Let it cool down a bit before you fluff up the rice.
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Once you have fluffed up the rice using fork, add the sugar, cardamom powder and let it cook. Cook it in saute mode, low heat.
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When the sugar starts melting, the rice will become liquidy again. Let it cook until the sugar is absorbed and the rice grains are separate. It took me about 8 to 9 minutes. Keep stirring occasionally until the sugar is absorbed fully.
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Serve hot garnished with nuts, raisins.
- It is important to soak the rice before cooking it.
- Which nuts to use and how much to use is totally upto you.
- 1/3 cup made this pulao mildly sweet. You could add more for a much sweeter version.
- The rice will harden a bit when it is cool. You could steam them a bit and use them again. It is best served hot.