today it is a great pleasure to share a truly delicious Indian specialty. No. no. this is not any curry. in fact this rice recipe is known in marathi as sakhar bhat or sweet rice. this is festival food reserved for special occasions. i would go so far as to say this dish is part of what makes the occasion special. in contrast to much of Indian cuisine, sakhar bhat is surprisingly delicate and subtle and only slightly sweet with a taste that will certainly leave you wanting more. but if you are experiencing this for the first time that is when you realize that everybody else has cast themselves over this wonderful treat so there is none left. lesson learned, next time you will be prepared!
i learned this south indian style recipe from my wife @hindavi. while i have enjoyed this dish on several festive occasions in india, this is the first time i am making it here at home in norway.
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup basmati rice
2 cups + 2 Tbsp boiling hot water
2 Tbsp ghee
1/4 - 1/3 cup sugar
25 golden raisins
20 - 25 whole cashews
a good pinch of saffron soaked in 1 Tbsp milk
3 green cardamom pods, peeled and ground
4 whole cloves
1 carrot, peeled and grated
this is a simple and quick dish to make even for foreigners like myself but the ingredients should be of best quality. the synergy of the ghee, saffron, cardamom and cloves gives a taste that not only lingers on your tongue for hours but also in your mind for years.
First step
to avoid the rice from becoming sticky it is necessary to rinse it thoroughly. then soak the rice in water for about 30 minutes. drain and set aside.
then
Warm 1 tsp ghee in a frying pan and gently sautee the cashews. remove them then gently sautee the raisins.
remove the raisins, add 1 more tsp ghee and sautee the whole cloves but don't remove them.
place the drained rice and grated carrot in the pan and lightly roast over medium heat, stirring often. add the remaining ghee and continue such that each grain of rice is coated and roasted.
add the sauteed cashews and raisins, saving some for garnish. continue roasting for a few minutes then pour in the 2 cups boiling hot water and the ground cardamom.
cook until nearly soft.
stir in the sugar and add the remaining 2 Tbsp hot water. cook until soft but firm- not mushy
Stir in the saffron and milk. the dish is now cooked but since it is a special occasion remove the cloves. place the rice in a mold and garnish with the cloves and the remaining sauteed cashews and raisins
after notes:
the last photo shows a single serving but the recipe makes 3 generous servings.
the carrot is mostly for color and is actually optional. sometimes a cook will add yellow coloring to make the dish more colorful but i would never consider such an ingredient. some varieties of saffron have an exceptionally strong color and this may or may not be natural. using extra saffron to increase the color may result in an overpowering taste which would detract considerably from the taste experience.
the design i made here is an attempt at a swastika which is an ancient symbol commonly used in many cultures throughout the world and throughout history, though perhaps most in india. swastika comes from sanskit and means auspiciousness or well being so it is particularly suited for use during hindu and jain festivals. in no way should anybody consider my use of it here to have any association whatsoever with anything connected to nazism