Pineapple rice aka ‘Jarda’

Ingredients:

2 cups long grain basmati rice (soaked for at least two hours)

1 and 1/2 cups sugar

A handful of blanched almonds, cut into halves

Fresh pineapple, cut into small pieces

2 tbsp pure ghee

A few strands of kesar (saffron)

1/2 inch cinnamon stick

4 to 5 cloves

6 to 7 cardamom

Juice from 5 lemons

Method:

In a large vessel, put water to boil.  After the water starts boiling, add 1/2 lime juice and the soaked basmati rice.

Remove the rice in a strainer after it is semi cooked.

Soak all the garam masala in little water. In another big, flat bottomed vessel, heat the ghee. Add the soaked garam masala and cover immediately for the aroma to be retained.

Open the cover and add the saffron, pineapple, lemon juice, blanched and cut almonds, sugar, saffron colour, and 1 cup water.

When the sugar melts in the water, add the rice and mix well.  Switch off the gas and let the rice soak in the sugar syrup with all the aromas of the garam masala, saffron and pineapple.

Before serving, heat it on a tawa for at least 20 minutes.  Garnish with almonds.