Saffron N SweetPea Rice

This is a 'slightly' embellished rice-dish that was made with only one purpose - to complement an over-the-top side-dish/rice-topper. The Stuffed Peppers in the previous post was very rich in flavor and these two go very well like gin and tonic, steak and potatoes..you get the idea,right? Other side-dish choices that would go very well with this rice - Stuffed Eggplants, Chicken in Walnut Gravy, Moroccon Chicken with Apricots N Cashews.

Ingredients(Makes 3-4 Servings):

• 2 cups Rice(Preferably Basmati Or any Short-grained rice for pressure cooking)
• 1 1/2  tsp Saffron Strands
• 1/2 cup Fresh or Frozen Sweet Pea
• 1/4 cup Cashews
• 1 Medium Red Onion, vertically sliced
• 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
• 3 Cloves
• 1 Dried Kapok Bud(Marathi Moggu/Parapinni), Optional
• 2 tbsp Olive Oil
• 1/2 cup Milk
• 2 Cups Water(if using Basmati or more/less)

Procedure:

• Warm the milk in a cup and add the Saffron Strands. Let it soak for 20-30 minutes.

• In a shallow saute pan, heat the oil,add the cloves, cumin seeds and the kapok bud. Fry the cashews along with it until its browned.
• Add the sliced onions to the pan and fry till translucent.

• Add the milk soaked saffron strands along with the milk to the pan.
• Sprinkle some salt and add the Basmati rice.Gently stir and lid the pan.

• Cook until the rice is soft. Fluff it with a fork and serve it with any side dish of choice - Stuffed Peppers, Stuffed Eggplants, Chicken in Walnut Gravy, Moroccon Chicken with Apricots N Cashews.

Enjoy!