Saffron Rice

Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked long-grain rice, rinsed and soaked in water for 20 minutes
pinch of saffron threads, soaked in 1 cup warm water
2 tablespoons butter
5-6 cardamom pods
1 cinnamon stick
3-4 cloves
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
salt

Steps:
1. Turn on the rice cooker and let the rice cooker bowl heat well.
2. Put the butter and allow to melt. Add the cardamom pods, cinnamon sticks and cloves. Let them cook in the melted butter for 1-2 mins or until fragrant.

3. Drain your rinsed and soaked rice. Add it to the rice cooker bowl and cook it until the rice gets dry and is slightly roasted. The rice grains should become separated.

. Add the turmeric powder and pinch of salt. Mix well until all grains are coated and become yellow.

Saffron Steamed Basmati Rice

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
 --------  ------------  --------------------------------
    3      cups          basmati rice -- long grain
    6      cups          water
    2      teaspoons     salt
    3      tablespoons   olive oil
    4      tablespoons   plain low-fat yogurt
    1      teaspoon      saffron -- dissolved in
    4      tablespoons   hot water

 This is a master recipe that details certain steps applicable to all other
 rice recipes.

 1. Clean by picking over the rice. Basmatic rice like any other contains many
 small solid particles.  This grit must be removed by picking over the rice
 carefully by hand.

 2. Wash the rice by placing it in a large container and covering it with
 lukewarm water. Agitate briskly with your hand, then pour off the water.
 Repeat five times until the rice is completely clean. When washed rice is
 cooked it gives off a delightful perfume that unwashed rice does not have. *If
 using long-grain AMERICAN or Texmati rice, it is not necessary to soak or wash
 five times. (Once is enough.)  Cooking rice with salt firms it up to support
 the long cooking time and prevents the rice from breaking up. The grains swell
 individually without sticking together The result is light and fluffy rice
 called Pearls of Persian Cuisine.

 3. Bring 6 cups of water with 2 teaspoons salt to a boil in a large non-stick
 pot. Pour the washed and drained rice into the pot. Boil briskly for 6 to 10
 minutes; stir gently twice with a wooden spoon to loosen any grains that may
 have stuck to the bottom. Bite a few grains. If the rice feels soft, it is
 ready. Drain rice in a large free-standing strainer or sieve.

 4. In the same pot, heat 2 tablespoons oil, two full spatulas of rice, 4
 tablespoons yogurt, and I tablespoon saffron water; spread this mixture over
 the bottom of the pot and even out with back of a spatula. This will help to
 make a golden crust (_tah dig_).

 5. Take one spatula full of rice at a time and gently place it on top of the
 bottom layer, gradually shaping the rice into a pyramid. This shape leaves
 room for the rice to expand. Poke 1 or 2 holes in the rice pyramid with the
 handle of a wooden spoon.

 6. Cover and cook rice for 10 minutes over medium heat in order to form a gold
 crust.

 7. Dissolve 1 tablespoon oil in 1/2 cup hot water and pour over the rice
 pyramid. Place a clean dish towel or 2 layers of paper towel over the pot and
 cover firmly with the lid to prevent steam from escaping. Cook for 50 minutes
 longer over low heat.

 8. Remove the pot from heat. Allow to cool on a damp surface for 5 minutes
 without uncovering it. This helps to free the crust from the bottom of the
 pot. Then put 2 tablespoons of rice in a dish, mix with remaining saffron
 water, and set aside for garnish.

 9. Gently taking one spatula full of rice at a time, place it on a serving
 platter without disturbing the crust. Mound the rice into a cone. Sprinkle the
 saffron rice garnish over the top. For a tastier effect, you may melt 2
 tablespoons butter and drizzle over the rice.

 10. Detach the layer of crust from the bottom using a wooden spatula. Place on
 a small platter and serve on the side or arrange it around the rice.


by  http://www.newindiantaste.blogspot.com

Homemade Maraschino Cherries Recipe

Prep Time: 1 hour

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• Brine:
• 2 quarts water
• 1 Tablespoon pickling salt
• 4-1/2 pounds pitted sweet cherries
• .
• Syrup:
• 4-1/2 pounds sugar
• 3 cups water
• Juice of one lemon
• 1 ounce red food coloring
• 1 ounce almond extract

Preparation:

Bring water and salt to a boil, stirring until salt is dissolved. Let cool for 10 minutes, then pour over pitted sweet cherries. Cover and let sit 12 hours or overnight.

Drain cherries, discarding brine, and rinse in cold water. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, water, lemon juice, and red food coloring. Bring just to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar, and remove from heat. Pour over cherries, cover, and let stand for 24 hours.

Drain cherries, reserving juice. Set cherries aside. Bring reserved juice to a boil again. Remove from heat and stir in almond extract. Pour juice over cherries.

Pack cherries with juice in hot sterilized jars and seal according to manufacturer's recommendations. Place in a water bath canner and process 20 minutes for pint jars or 25 minutes for quart jars.

 by

 http://www.newindiantaste.blogspot.com/

Food Coloring Recipes

Peppermint herbal tea and coconut make a refreshing dairy-free sorbet.

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 bags peppermint herbal tea
• 1 large coconut without any cracks and containing liquid
• 2 or 3 drops of green food coloring if desired

Preparation:

In a saucepan bring 2 cups water to a boil with the sugar, stirring until sugar is dissolved, add tea bags, and let steep, covered for 15 minutes. Discard tea bags.

With an ice pick or a skewer, test the three eyes of the coconut to find the weakest one and pierce it to make a hole. Drain the liquid and reserve it. Bake the coconut in a preheated 400-degrees F. oven for 15 minutes, break it with a hammer, and remove the flesh from the shell, levering it out carefully with the point of a strong knife. Cut the coconut meat into small pieces and in a blender grind it in small batches, transferring it as it is ground to a bowl. Return the ground coconut to the blender.

Strain the reserved coconut liquid through a fine sieve into a large measure and add enough water to measure 2 cups liquid. In a saucepan bring the liquid to a boil, add it to the ground coconut, and blend the mixture for 1 minute. Let the coconut mixture cool, strain it through a large sieve lined with a double thickness of cheesecloth into a bowl, pressing hard on the solids, and squeeze the coconut in the cheesecloth to extract as much of the milk as possible.

Stir the tea into the coconut milk with the food coloring, if using, and chill the mixture, covered until it is cold. Freeze the mixture in an ice cream freezer according the manufacturer's instructions and store the sorbet in freezer containers. The sorbet may be made 5 days in advance and kept frozen, covered. Let sorbet stand in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or microwave it at 30% power for 1 minute to soften slightly before serving.

Yield: about 1 quart
by
 http://www.newindiantaste.blogspot.com/

Chocolate chip cookies

Method

1. Put the eggs and sugar in a bowl and beat till the mixture becomes pale brown.
2. Sift the flour and soda bicarbonate.
3. Pour over the egg sugar mixture and mix it well.
4. Add butter, peanuts and chocolate chips to it and stir to mix together.
5. Scoop out the cookies mixture with a spoon and roll into a ball with your hands and place on greased tray at least 5 cms apart.
6. Flatten the balls with your hands to make round shape.
7. Preheat the oven at 200 degree Celsius.
8. Bake the cookies at 200 degree Celsius for 10-15 min, until lightly browned. (Time subject to your oven)
9. Place on wire rack to cool for 5 min.
10. Chocolate chip cookies is ready to eat.