Rice Kesaribath

Preparation time: 45 minutes
Servings: 5 - 6

Ingredients:

Jeera rice (or basmati rice) - 250 gm
Saffron strands - 3/4 gm
Sugar - 375 gm
Pure ghee - 250 gm (can use little less also)
Cloves - 2
Milk 5 - 6 tsp
Lime juice - 4 1/2 tsp
Salt - 1 tsp
Cashews - 10
Raisins 25 - 30

Method:

Cook the rice with enough water and 1 tsp of ghee. Cooking the rice rightly is very important here. All the grains should be cooked nicely, and at the same time, rice should not be sticky. So, be careful. 

If any water is remaining in the cooked rice, drain it fully and spread the cooked rice on a wide plate for 5 minutes to cool.
 

Bring the milk to boil and switch off the flame. Soak the saffron strands in the hot milk for 10 minutes.
 

Take the cloves and make a fine powder. Cut the cashews into medium size pieces.
 

Combine the salt the with lime juice to dissolve and keep it ready.
 

Take a wide vessel preferably with heavy bottom. Combine rice with sugar and ghee. Keep mixing it on slightly high flame.
 

Once it starts boiling, add milk with saffron strands, salt and lime juice mixture. Keep sauting the mixture to avoid burning.
 

Once the mixture starts absorbing the ghee, bring the flame to medium.
 

Add powdered cloves and raisins and mix it well.
 

Within few minutes, you can see the mixture starts oozing the ghee. Switch off the flame immediately and add the cashew pieces.
 

Close the vessel with a lid and allow to set for 10 minutes.
 

Delicious Kesaribath is ready to serve now! This tastes very good when its still hot.