Kesari Baath / Sweet Saffron rice

Kesari Baath / Sweet Saffron rice

Kesari baath is the other offering we made on Shri Rama Navami. This sweet is little different from our regular Naivedyam. It is called Kesari baath. I know some people even call Ravva kesari with the same name, but this sweet is made of rice and not ravva.
It is made in almost the same way with a few minor changes because its rice which has to be cooked before 90% stage before adding to the sugar syrup. And cloves, cinamon and bay leaf is also added for the fragrant smell.
This was my brother's favorite as a kid. My Mom used to prepare it often, on his birthday too. Today we wanted to make this as its been a long time since we made this at home. We used the kesari food color, so as to get a even coloring. So with my Mom's help here is the recipe...

Ingredients:

1 cup Basmati rice (cooked in the rice cooker in the microwave to about almost done...80 to 90% done)
11/4 cup sugar (you can use more if you want it sweeter or less if you want it less sweeter)
1/4 cup water to make syrup
1/4 tsp elaichi or cardamom powder
a pinch of saffron or kesari food color (or you can use saffron strands)

3-4 cardamom pods
3-4 cloves
3-4 small 1/2 inch pieces of cinamom sticks
2 bay leaf

1 tbsp cashew nuts
1 tbsp kismis or golden raisins

2 tbsp ghee or clarified butter

Method:

Cook rice on either stove top or microwave or any other way you wish to about just done. Keep aside.
In a pot, add sugar, water and make syrup. Let it come to boil. Add the saffron color and cardamom powder. Add the rice and mix well. Now the rice has to get cooked in the sugar syrup to completly done.
In a different pan, heat the ghee and saute the cashew and raisins to golden brown. Add the cardamom pods, cloves, cinamon sticks and bay leaf and let them brown a bit before adding to the rice. Mix well. All the water in the rice should be used up and the rice should get dry. It should be like you can see every grain separatly. Serve hot or warm. Enjoy!!!

Tip: Since the rice is cooked in the sugar syrup, it feels slightly chewy in texture. Since ghee is added, the rice grains should separate.

This is going to CWS - Cardamom Seeds hosted by Priya of Priya's Easy N tasty Recipes .