Zafrani Zarda Pulao with POM!

t gives me great pleasure to let you know that a scout team from POM Wonderful apparently liked my work that I publish through this blog of mine and contacted me the other day. They offered to send me a case of their wonderful juice. The best part, there was no catch. All I had to do was what I already love to do, come up with some recipes; and with a great product like POM it was not too difficult a task.

You guys most likely know about POM. Yes, the deep purple-pink juice in the cute double spherical looking bottle that you can find in the juice aisle of practically every grocery store.

As I sat down searching through my brain for ideas, my first instinct was a spiced juice blend, or ice-cream or the like. I wanted to go with something more original and exotic so I set those ideas aside and stuck to my roots. Hence came the idea of using a POM reduction in an exotic rice. When I asked hubby for his feedback after he had this rice for dinner, he summed it up aptly as a 'Dish fit for Royalty'.

That is exactly what this rice is, royal. As you take a spoonful, you first get the sweetness from the sugar but you know there's more coming. As the fragrance of the basmati takes over, you get the textural play of the cashews and pomegranate pearls together with the aroma of the exotic spice blend of course over the mild yet pervasive flavor of pomegranate tantalizing your taste buds. It all goes down leaving a sweet and spicy elegance in your mouth forcing you to pick up the spoon again. Sound royal enough! It is said that this dish was one of the favorites of Akbar the Great (not sure if he used POM though, just kidding).

If the pictures are not enough, you just have to try it to believe it.

Basmati Rice ................................ 2 cup (washed and soaked for 30 min)

Sugar ......................................... 1/4 cup (adjust to taste)

POM .......................................... 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp
Ghee ......................................... 4 tbsp
Saffron ...................................... 1 tsp
Milk .......................................... 2 tbsp, warm
Cinnamon ................................... 1 inch
Cloves ....................................... 3 - 4
Green Cardamom .......................... 4 + 2 (whole, crushed in a mortar-pestle)
Cashews ..................................... 1/4 cup
Raisin ........................................ 1/4 cup
Pistachios and Almonds ................... 1/4 cup (mixed)
Pomegranate Pearls ....................... for garnishing

1. Drain the rice and cook in boiling water till almost 3/4 done. Drain and cool to room temperature.

2. Soak the saffron in the warm milk for about 30 minutes.

3. In a medium saucepan mix the sugar, POM and 2 crushed cardamoms. Let it come to a boil then simmer it on low heat for 5 - 7 minutes till it gets to a syrupy consistency. Set aside but use within a half hour.

4. In a non-stick pan on medium heat, add the ghee. Add cinnamon, cloves and green cardamom. Stir till it is fragrant, about 1 - 2 minutes. Add the cashew and raisin and stir till the raisins get plump.

5. Add the pistachios and almonds. Stir and add the rice. Cook for 2 - 3 minutes. Mix to combine evenly. Add the pomegranate syrup, mix and cover and let it simmer on low heat for 4 - 5 minutes, stirring once in between. Add the saffron and mix.

6. Garnish with pomegranate pearls and serve warm as a dessert or as a meal with a spicy curry.