Sweet saffron rice

Ingredients:

1. One cup long-grained basmati rice

2. Six tbsp ghee

3. Two tbsps almonds chopped

4. Two tbsps pistachios chopped

5. Two tbsps cashew nuts chopped

6. Two tbsps cranberries chopped

7. Two tbsps raisins

8. Two cardamoms green

9. One bay leaf

10. Two cinnamon sticks

11. Six cloves

12. Half cup sugar syrup (chashni)

13. Two tbsps milk

14. Two cups water

15. One pinch saffron sachet powder

16. Rose petals for garnishing

Method:

Wash the rice and soak it in water for 30 minutes. Heat ghee in a pan, and then add the chopped nuts and dried fruit. Saute on medium flame until cashews are golden brown and raisins are puffed up. In the remaining ghee, add the cardamom, bay leaf, cinnamon, and cloves. Stir for one minute or so until the cinnamon unfurls, and cloves are puffed up. In another bowl, wash rice and drain them and add to the pan. Toast the rice with the spices on a medium flame for two to three minutes. Then add two cups of water. Bring this to a boil. Once the water is boiling, reduce the flame, cover with a lid, and allow to cook for eight minutes. Then, mix the saffron powder in the milk, pour sugar syrup, and saffron on rice. Gently toss the rice in the saffron milk until it gets a uniformly golden hue. Remove the pan from the flame. Mix half the fruit-nut mix into the rice. Remove this onto a platter. Garnish with the leftover fruit-nut mix rose petals.