Saffron recipe collection. Kesar, or more commonly known as saffron, is one of the most known and expensive spice in the world. It is actually the stigmas (thread like things found in the flower that carry pollen seeds) that are dried up and used to provide flavor, color and seasoning. The fact that it is so labor intensive and has a unique flavor, is the reason for it being so expensive.
Kesar provides a beautiful yellow color to the food it is added to and has a mild grassy, sweetish taste. Even though it is seems like a sweet taste, it is still added to savory dishes to give them a royal taste. To use saffron, you have to take a few strands and add them to warm milk or water for 10 mins till it dissolves. Even a few strands are enough to flavor an entire dish.
Saffron Recipes for Indian Sweets
Ever wonder how many Indian Sweets and desserts have a very natural, subtle honey like taste and a distinct yellow color? Look no further, because the answer is saffron. Kesar is being used in India since first introduced and we have no looked back since. The most eaten and talked about desserts – Jalebi, Kesar Peda and Rasmalai, all have a beautiful kesar flavor running through them.
In the South, a famous sweet dish called Kesari Bhaat, is the southern equivalent of sheera, made with rava and flavored with saffron and cardamom. The mix of saffron, cardamom, pistachio and almonds is actually age old. It is the golden combination where each flavor complements the other well, resulting in so many different desserts like Kesar Malai Kulfi, Rasmalai, Kesar Elaichi Shrikhand, each having a distinct taste.
Kesar Recipes for Drinks
mere pinch of saffron can create wonders in terms of flavor and color. Apart from these qualities, it is also healthy. Because it is filled with antioxidants and nutrients, it is used in many drinks as well. Haldi Doodh is consumed at night because of the sleep inducing properties it has and is known to cure insomnia. Saffron Lemon Drink is a drink that makes saffron the hero! It has no milk or any spice to mask the flavor of saffron and is very rejuvenating. Adding kesar to your smoothie or milk can increase its health quotient.
Indian Saffron Recipes
Kashmiri saffron is of a very high quality which makes the food it is added to look very royal! That is one of the main reasons it is used in Indian food! Speaking of royal, you think of rich densely flavored dishes. Shahi Pulao is one of those dishes that is packed with spices and their aromas with the bright yellow color of saffron making it even more inviting. Not only pulaos, a mix of a saffron and milk is added to various biryanis as well, like the Lajjatdar Handi Biryani and Kabuli Chana Kofta Biryani, to give a subtle seasoning to your palate.
Mughlai cuisine knows the appropriate use of saffron! They use it in their rice preparations, subzis and even soups! Zaffrani soup is basically a flavorful broth thickened with a milk-cornflour mixture and seasoned with saffron for its color. Since it works as a dyeing agent, you can use it to give color to any food of your choice. The beloved Tandoori Paneer Tikka has a hint of saffron too! A grand subzi to give a festive feeling is Kesarwale Paneer Kofte Ki Subzi which has a luscious gravy of onions, curd and whole spices.
Hope you enjoyed this collection of Kesar Recipes.