ZARDA – SWEET RICE WITH SAFFRON AND NUTS

(Serves 4-6)

INGREDIENTS: ½tsp saffron strands; 2tbsp milk; 250g basmati rice; 100g ghee or butter (or flavourless vegetable oil), plus extra for greasing; 6 cloves; 8 green cardamom pods; 40g each shelled unsalted pistachios and unsalted blanched almonds, cut into thick slivers; 30g dried apricots, cut into small cubes; 150g granulated sugar; 2tbsp kewra (screwpine) water or rose water

METHOD: 1.

Put the saffron in a small bowl, warm the milk to tepid and pour over the saffron strands.

2. Wash the rice in a bowl of cold water, stirring gently by hand in a circular motion. Repeat until the water remains clear, then soak the rice in cold water for at least 30 minutes or up to three hours. Drain the rice well in a strainer.

3. Boil the rice in one-and-a-half-litres of water until it is half done. To check remove a single grain from the hot water and squeeze between your fingers – there should still be a hard core of slightly uncooked rice. Drain the half-cooked rice and spread thinly on a plate to prevent it from continuing to cook.

4. Heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4.

5. Heat the ghee or butter in a pan over a medium-high heat. Add the cardamoms and cloves, followed by the pistachios, almonds and apricots. Add 250ml of cold water and the sugar and stir until the sugar dissolves.

6. Butter a casserole dish and add the rice, then pour over the warm, spice-infused sugar syrup. Add the saffron-infused milk and stir gently to ensure the saffron is evenly distributed. Cover tightly with foil and bake in the oven for 15 minutes.

7. Take the dish out of the oven. Gently fluff the rice, then re-cover and bake for another 10-15 minutes. Remove the foil and leave the dessert to stand for a few minutes.

8. Sprinkle the kewra or rose water over the warm rice before serving.