In India Basant Panchmi is the day when Goddess Saraswati is worshiped. This is the day when we wear clothes of different shades of yellow and prepare sweet rice.
This year however, I completely forgot about this day. I was to send my daughter to school in yellow clothes but she went wearing her regular uniform because her mom forgot. When she got back I was very subtly (pun intended) reminded by her that there was a celebration at school and she was the only one in uniform. I had to make it up to her. After a zillion apologies I got on to preparing the traditional sweet rice that’s made this day.
Usually for preparing rice the ratio of rice to water is 1:2 but since we add sugar here we add a little extra water as sugar makes the rice sticky.
Ingredients:
Clarified butter (ghee) – 2 tbsp
Rice – 1 cup (wash n soak for 30 mins)
Cloves (laung) – 9-10
Cardamom (ellaichi) – 3-4
Raisins (kish mish) – 12-13
Water – 2 ½ cup
Granulated Sugar – ¾ cup
Saffron (kesar) – 1 pinch (soak it in 2 tsp of warm milk)
Almonds (badaam) for garnish – 6-7 (skin removed and cut lengthwise)
1. In a heavy bottomed pan heat ghee. Add cloves and cardamom.
2. Add the soaked rice and keep stirring on medium heat for 2 mins or until the rice gets translucent.
3. Add water and saffron soaked in milk.
4. Add the raisins.
5. When the water starts boiling, add sugar.
6. Cover and cook until the rice is cooked. Stir occasionally.
7. Transfer in the serving bowl and garnish with chopped almonds.
8. Serve hot.
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