Unlike other spices such as cinnamon and cardamom, “saffron” can be categorized as one of the highly priced spice without any doubt due to its flavour, colour and medicinal properties. Research explains that it is a natural carotenoid chemical compound that gives saffron its nice orange colour. In terms of health benefits, Ayurveda identifies that saffron has been popular among many traditional medicines due to its digestive, anti-oxidant, antiseptic, and antidepressant qualities. Moreover, saffron is also rich in vitamin C, vitamin A, folic acid and niacin which are vital to maintain a healthy body and mind. Due to these immense health benefits and natural qualities, saffron has become a must-have ingredient when cooking food around the world.
Ingredients
- 2 cups of rice
- 4 cups of water
- 1/2 of cup of chopped onion
- 4 green cardamom pods
- 2-3 cinnamon sticks (2-3cms each)
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1/4 of cashew nuts
- 1 or 2 tablespoons of ghee
- Pinch of saffron ( Turmeric as an alternative option)
Method
- Wash and rinse rice 3 times
- Heat ghee in a heavy bottomed saucepan
- Add cinnamon stick, cardamom, and cook for 1 minute
- Add onion and sauté until for soft, then add cashew nuts, salt and water saffron (pre-soak saffron in one tablespoon of hot water for 10 minutes)
- Bring to boil, add the rice, once is boil reduce the heat to medium to low (takes 20 minutes)
- Cover until the rice is cooked (use a rice cooker to cook the rice easily].
