Kesari Bhaat ? Meetha Chawal ? Sweet Saffron Rice

Today is a great day for India. A billion people are celebrating the Indian victory in the 2011 Cricket World Cup Finals.

CONGRATULATIONS!

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Ingredients

1 cup basmati rice cooked in 2 + 1/2  cups water
1 + 3/4 cup sugar
1 cup fresh, grated coconut
1/3 cup ghee
1 big, very generous pinch of kesar/saffron soaked in 1/8 cup warm water
1/2 tea spoon powdered cardamom
6 cloves, 1/4 cup each cashews and raisins  fried in 1 table spoon ghee

Method

Soak rice in water for about 15 minutes and then cook with 2 1/4 cup water. I cook it covered, on low heat. It takes about 20 minutes. As soon as all the water is absorbed. shut the stove off.
Keep the rice aside, covered,  for about 10 minutes. Then gently stir it to get the air out.
In a big pan, bring 3/4 cup water to boil.
Add sugar and coconut to the boiling water and cook on low heat for about 12 minutes until nice aroma emanates from the mixture.
Add Cooked rice to this mixture and add 1/3 cup ghee.
Mix well, and add saffron water and cardamom.
On low heat, cook the mixture for about 15 minutes stirring every 10-15 seconds.
By this time rice will have soaked all the sweet liquid.
Add raisins, cashews and cloves.

Variation: Zest of a lemon or half an orange adds a wonderful aroma to this sweet dish. Add it at the very end, just before adding raisins and cashews.

Filed under: Meetha Chawal, Recipe By Name Tagged: Kesari Bhaat, Meetha chawal, Meethe chawal, Prasad, Sweets