½ cup rice

4 cups milk

8 tbsp sugar

6 cardamoms

½ tsp saffron

¼ cup pistachios

pistachios to decorate

Method:

*  Soak pistachios in the water for at least 3 hours.

*  Rinse the rice under water and place into the pan.

*  Add the half of the milk and stir. Cover and cook for 15-20 min until soft.

*  Then add saffron, cardamoms, sugar and remaining milk. Simmer gently for about 10 minutes or until the rice is quite thick in consistency. If the rice pudding is to thick, add a little extra milk or water.

*  Decorate with whole pistachios. Serve hot or cold.

Gajar Halva Recipe:

INGREDIENTS:

3 lb/1.5kg carrots

5½ oz/150 g butter

2½ cups milk

¾ cups evaporated milk

½cup tbsp sugar

10 cardamoms

raisins, cashews, pistachios to decorate

Method:

*  Rinse, peel and grate carrots.
*  Melt a butter in pan.
*  Add the grated carrots and stir for 15-20 minutes.
*  Add the milk, evaporated milk, crushed cardamoms and sugar to the mixture and continue to cook, stirring constantly for an additional 20-30 minutes.
*  Transfer the carrot mixture into serving dishes. Decorate with the chopped pistachios, raisins and cashews. Serve immediately.

PANEER AND COCONUT BALLS:

½ kg paneer

8 tbsp powdered sugar

2-3 tsp rose water

a few drops rose essence

For the coconut mixture

2 cups dried coconut

1½ cups granulated sugar

2 pinches saffron

a little milk

For decoration

4 -5 blanched and chopped pistachios, silver foil

Method:

*  For paneer balls
*  Mix all the ingredients very well and make a dough.
*  Divide the dough into 2 portions and shape into small round balls.
*  For the coconut mixture
*  Cook the coconut and sugar for 10 minutes on a slow flame. Cool.
*  Warm the saffron in a small vessel. Add a little milk and run in until the saffron dissolves.
*  Add the saffron mixture to the coconut mixture. Mix well.
*  How to proceed
*  Make a covering of the coconut mixture over each paneer ball using hand pressure.
*  Arrange the balls in a plate and cover with silver foil. Chill.
*  Cut each ball into 2 parts. Decorate with pistachios.
*  Serve cold.

INGREDIENTS:

For the pistachio dough

½ kg pistachios

1 cup sugar

1 pinches saffron

½ tsp cardamom powder

For the almond dough

1 kg almonds

1 kg sugar

For decoration

silver foil

Preparation time:20 min, Cooking time: 30 minutes
* For the pistachio dough
* Put the pistachios into boiling water for 4-5 minutes.
* Drain, remove the skin by rubbing on a piece of cloth and grind into a powder.
* Mix the sugar in 8 to 9 tbsp of water and boil in a broad vessel until it forms a soft ball. Add the pistachios powder and allow to cool.
* Warm the saffron in a small vessel, add 2 tsp of milk and rub until the saffron dissolves.
* Add the saffron liquid and the cardamom powder to the pistachio dough.
* Roll out the dough and make small rounds.
* For the almond dough
* Soak the almonds in water for 12 hours. Drain and put into boiling water. Cover and leave for 10 min.
* Drain the almonds, remove the skin and drop into cold water so that they do not discolor.
* Grind with a little water in a grinder. Add the sugar and cook until the mixture forms into a dough. Leave for 5 min.
* How to proceed
* Roll out the almond dough and cut into square pieces which exactly cover pistachio rolls.
* Place a pistachio roll on an almond square piece and roll up.
* Repeat with the remaining pistachio and almond squares.
* Decorate with silver foil, cut into small pieces and serve it

Kesar Paneer Recipe:

INGREDIENTS
250 gms home-made paneer
1 tsp roasted semolina
2-3 tbsp castor sugar
1/4 tsp crushed cardamom seeds
1 tbsp almond powder
1 tbsp sliced pistachio nuts
1 tbsp raisins
1 tbsp cream/ milk

Topping
2 tbsp cream
1 tsp soaked saffron strands
2 tbsp dried fruit
1 paan leaf
1 inch stick cinnamon
1 piece of coal
1 tbsp ghee

METHOD
1. Beat paneer until smooth.

2. Add semolina, sugar, spice and almond powder.

3. Cook on a slow flame for five minutes.

4. Stir in the pistachio nuts.

5. Bind with cream and place in a heatproof bowl.

6. For the topping, spoon on the cream. Sprinkle with saffron and dried fruit.

7. Press on the paan leaf and place the cinnamon stick on top with the hot coal.

8. Pour on hot ghee and seal for five minutes.

9. Remove the foil and serve.