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    Zafrani Pulao

    Yum

    Updated on May 6, 2021 By Shalini 6 Comments - This post contains affiliate links which means if you use them to make a purchase, I'll earn enough money to maybe buy me a lil' something - an ingredient, probably.

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    Zafrani Pulao is an exotic and delicious Indian Style Saffron Rice. It is easy to make and is light on the palate without compromising on flavors.

    Zafrani Pulao

    Indian Saffron Rice- the name itself sounds exotic and extravagant. It somehow represents regal and royalty, don't you think? If you are wondering how Saffron rice could be easy and quick to prepare, I assure you, this pilaf is one of the easiest rice dishes I have made.

    Zafrani Pulao is made by cooking fragrant basmati rice with nuts and saffron. It is mildly sweet because of the addition of sugar or condensed milk and that makes this dish irresistible. It can be served with any Indian curry- mainly Paneer Butter Masala, Prawn Curry, or Dal Makhani.

    Zafrani Pulao is

    • easy to make
    • light
    • fragrant and delicious
    Indian Saffron Rice

    Indian Saffron Rice is often served during Eid and Diwali festivities. I'm glad I could present this dish to you just in time for Ramadan Iftar. It is also perfect to serve your guests for dinner.

    Zafrani Pulao Ingredients

    Zafrani Pulao makes use of basic Indian pantry staples and of course, saffron.

    • Basmati Rice: Good quality, long-grained basmati rice is ideal for making Zafrani Pulao.
    • Saffron: The quality of saffron you use makes or breaks the dish. So, make sure that you use only high-quality saffron.
    • Sweetener: I like to use a dollop of condensed milk. But you can also use sugar.
    • Dried Fruits: Almonds, Pistachios, Cashews, and Raisins are the dried fruits I used.
    • Others: Ice cubes can be added while blending. It will loosen up the lassi and also helps in maintaining a low temperature. You can garnish with mint leaves, chopped mangoes, slivered almonds and crushed pistachios.

    How to Make Zafrani Pulao

    1. Wash and soak basmati rice for 30 minutes to 45 minutes.
    2. Soak saffron strands in warm milk and keep aside for about 20 minutes.
    3. Heat ghee in a thick-bottomed vessel and add bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon, and cardamom.
    4. Coarsely crush almonds and pistachios and add this to the pan. Mix well.
    5. Add the rice and mix with gentle hands.
    6. Pour water and cook the rice until done.
    7. Add saffron milk and let it rest for about ten minutes.
    8. Fork the rice and garnish with fried onions, cashews, and raisins.

    Zafrani Pulao Recipe:

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    Zafrani Pulao recipe

    Zafrani Pulao


    ★★★★★

    5 from 1 reviews

    • Author: Shalini
    • Total Time: 30 minutes
    • Yield: 3 persons 1x
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    Description

    Zafrani Pulao is an exotic and delicious Indian Style Saffron Rice. It is easy to make and is light on the palate without compromising on flavors.


    Ingredients

    Scale
    1. 1 cup Basmati rice
    2. ⅛ cup warm Milk
    3. 2 pinches of Saffron
    4. 2 tbsp Ghee
    5. 1 Bayleaf
    6. 2-3 Cloves
    7. 1" inch Cinnamon stick
    8. 3 Cardamom pods
    9. 10 Almonds
    10. 10 Pistachios
    11. 10 Cashews
    12. 10 Raisins
    13. 1 tbsp Sugar or Condensed Milk
    14. 1.5 cups Water
    15. Fried Onions, for garnish

    Instructions

    1. Wash and soak basmati rice for 30 minutes to 45 minutes.
    2. Soak saffron strands in warm milk and keep aside for about 20 minutes.
    3. Heat ghee in a thick-bottomed vessel and add bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon, and cardamom.
    4. Coarsely crush almonds and pistachios and add this to the pan. Mix well.
    5. Add the rice and mix with gentle hands.
    6. Pour water and add sugar or condensed milk. Mix well.
    7. Cook the rice until done.
    8. Add saffron milk and let it rest for about ten minutes.
    9. Fork the rice and garnish with fried onions, cashews, and raisins.
    • Prep Time: 10 mins
    • Cook Time: 20 mins
    • Category: Rice
    • Method: Stovetop
    • Cuisine: Indian

    Keywords: Zafrani Pulao, Indian Saffron Rice

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    👉 Kerala Ghee Rice

    👉 Indian Rice Pilaf

    👉 Zarda Pulao

    👉 Veg Pulao

    Like this recipe? Pin it!

    I'm participating in #AtoZChallenge and #BlogchatterAtoZ where I'll be sharing 26 Easy Recipes with you this April. I'm dedicating the posts to the amazing community members who helped me figure out this theme for the challenge. Thank you!

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    About Shalini

    Namaste! I'm Shalini, the blogger behind Something's Cooking(since 2014). I share only our best, family approved recipes with YOU because I've tried and tested every recipe published on this blog. You can find easy Keto, low-carb recipes, and authentic Indian recipes including South Indian (Kerala) foods. You can rest assured that Indian cooking will be made easy. Thanks for stopping by! I'm so happy you're here.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Suchita Agarwal says

      May 03, 2021 at 3:48 pm

      You know I could smell this dish but such dishes always leave my tastebuds confused. Is it sweet or savoury 😐 But oh god it would smell so heavenly!

      Reply
      • Shalini says

        May 06, 2021 at 12:19 pm

        It is mildly sweet, Suchita because of the addition of sugar or condensed milk and the caramelized onions. But yes! Flavorful indeed! 🙂

        Reply
    2. Lisa says

      May 01, 2021 at 10:25 pm

      That sounds quite delicious! The only kind of rice I buy is basmati. It's well worth paying more. It is also low on the glycemic index, even the white.

      Reply
    3. Varsh says

      May 01, 2021 at 3:27 pm

      I love Zaffrani pulao although it's slightly sweet taste means having a spicy curry on the side. Dal makhni tastes good with it too.

      Reply
    4. Deepika says

      April 30, 2021 at 10:49 pm

      That puts in such delicate flavours together. Lovely recipe and explained in simple easy to follow step. I've missed reading some posts which i will. I have loved your series and your presentation with the pictures is beautiful. Best wishes
      Deepika Sharma

      Reply
    5. Purba Chakraborty says

      April 30, 2021 at 10:36 pm

      What a delicious recipe! Will definitely try it!

      ★★★★★

      Reply

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