Mittha
Sweet saffron-tinted rice cooked with ghee, dried fruits and sugar, traditionally the first dish served on the leaf plate at a Himachali dham.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Total
- 40 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 310 kcal
Equipment
- •Heavy pot
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 310 kcal
- fat
- 10 g
- carbs
- 52 g
- fibre
- 1 g
- protein
- 4 g
- calories
- 310 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Heat ghee (clarified butter) in a heavy pot. Fry the cashews and raisins until golden, then set them aside.
- 2
Add the soaked rice to the same ghee. Fry it gently for 2 minutes.
- 3
Add the water and bring the pot to a boil.
- 4
Turn the heat down low. Cover with a lid and cook until the rice is nearly tender.
- 5
Add the sugar and stir gently. Let it melt and soak into the rice.
- 6
Add the saffron milk and cardamom powder. Mix gently so the rice grains do not break.
- 7
Cover and cook on low heat for 5 minutes more until the rice is fully cooked and fragrant.
- 8
Top with the fried cashews and raisins before serving.
Chef's tips
Stir gently after adding the sugar to keep the rice whole. You can also use day-old cooked rice for this dish.
Ingredient substitutions
- saffron → a few drops of yellow food colour (less authentic)
Storage
Refrigerate for up to 2 days.
Reheating
Reheat gently with a splash of water or milk.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Stirring too roughly, which breaks and mashes the delicate rice grains.
Serving suggestions
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