Around the World with Millac! Flavors of Spring: Punjab Basant

Welcome to Millac’s first blog series, “Around the World with Millac!”, where we will be inaugurating our blog section by introducing our customers to the colorful world of spring. As we approach the end of winter in the Northern Hemisphere, millions of people around the world will be preparing to begin a new chapter and welcome spring in the company of their friends, family, and ofcourse food! No festive event would be complete without a wide array of sweets, savory snacks, or unique drinks, and spring time festivities are no exception. We will begin our journey in the populous province of Punjab, where locals don yellow clothing and fly kites to celebrate the survival of winter and prepare for the warmer days ahead. Urban centers on both sides of the India-Pakistan border such as Lahore, Amritsar, and Kasur have their unique take on Basant Panchami, as do the hundreds of smaller towns and villages.

Central to the dozens of variations surrounding Basant Panchami is a deep appreciation for nature, happiness from the yellow of Punjabi mustard flowers, and free-flowing liberation embodied by drifting kites. Roughly translated into English as “Lucky Spring”, Basant Panchami features a wide range of methai in the yellow-orange color range, including but not limited to: zarda, gajar ka halwa, and laddoo. In Punjab, as in all four regions of Pakistan, dairy is a crucial element of culture as it lends itself to a wide variety of dishes. Join Millac in preparing zarda sweet rice, using our very own Comelle Full Cream Milk Powder and Desi Ghee.

Recipe

Gather the following ingredients:

1. Comelle Full Cream Milk Powder 4 heaping tbsp (approx 45.5g), prepare 350ml glass
2. Comelle Desi Ghee ¾ cup or (approx 180ml)
3. Sella or long grain basmati rice 750g
4. Cardamom 3-5 according to taste
5. Cloves 3-5 according to taste
6. Salt 1 tablespoon
7. Kewra Essence 1 teaspoon
8. Zarda color 1 teaspoon
9. Sugar 450-500g according to taste
10. Tutti frutti ashrafiyan 250 g (optional can substitute with dried fruits; apricot, figs, etc.)
11. Shredded coconut 125g
12. Raisins (optional according to taste)
13. Almonds 125g
14. Mawa (Khoya) 20g
15. Garnish with nuts of your choosing. Pistachios make a great color harmony with the bright yellow of the rice.

Preparations before assembling:

1. Wash and soak the rice for about 2 hours
2. Soak almonds in hot water for 10 minutes before cooking, and peel skin
3. Soak dried fruits, if using, in hot water for 5 minutes or until tender

Directions:

1. Boil rice until tender with cardamom, cloves, salt, kewra essence, and zarda. Make sure your rice is tender but not mushy as it will cook later. Rice that is about 90-95% cooked will avoid the overcooked texture.
2. Drain excess water from cooked rice, and set it aside. Spreading the rice on a tray will also help to not make it mushy.
3. Add the milk and sugar into a pot and cook on a high flame to melt the sugar entirely. The end result should be a thick fluffy paste.
4. Add rice to the pot and stir well on a high flame.
5. Slowly add ghee as you continue stirring. Make sure that the excess water is completely dry and your flame is high.
6. Once the excess water is completely drained, bring the flame as low as possible and add tutti frutti asharfiyan, shredded coconut, raisins, almonds, mawa (khoya).
7. Place lid and allow to steam for 8 minutes.
8. Dish out, garnish with your choice of dried fruit and nuts.
9. Share with friends, family, and neighbors!

We hope that your loved ones enjoy this festive yellow zarda rice and will have many blessings in the coming spring season. Join us next time as we venture south towards the Sindhi cities of Shikarpur and Larkana to observe the Horse and Cattle festival.