Ingredients:

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
                        ***FOR THE RICE***
   2      cups          uncooked long grain rice
     1/4  teaspoon      saffron
                        ***OTHER INGREDIENTS***
   1      cup           yogurt
   2                    onions -- sliced
   2      tablespoons   tomato puree
   2      cups          mixed boiled vegetables
   2      tablespoons   fresh cream
   1      pinch         sugar
   5      tablespoons   ghee
                        salt -- to taste
                        ***TO BE GROUND INTO A PASTE***
   4                    red chilies
   2                    green chiles
   4      cloves        garlic
   1      piece         ginger -- (25 mm.)
   1      tablespoon    cashew nuts
   2      teaspoons     coriander seeds
   3                    cardamoms
                        mint leaves -- optional

Preparation:

Traditional rice dish from the North. Preparation time: 30 minutes Cooking time: 40 minutes 1. Boil the rice. Each grain of the cooked rice should be separate. Drain and cool. 2. Warm the saffron, add a little water, rub until it dissolves and add to half the quantity of the rice. To the other half of the rice, add 1/2 cup of yogurt. Keep aside the two rice portions. 3. Heat 3 tablespoons of ghee and fry the onions until light brown. Keep aside the onions. 4. In the same ghee, fry the paste for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the tomato puree, vegetables and the remaining yogurt and cook for a few minutes. Add the cream, sugar and salt. 5. Put the balance 2 tablespoons of ghee in a large bowl. 6. Sprinkle some fried onions and then a little saffron rice. 7. Next, spread some vegetables and thereafter some yogurt rice. Make alternate layers of onions, saffron rice, vegetables and yogurt rice in this manner. 8. Cover and bake in a hot oven at450F for 20 minutes. 9. Turn upside down, sprinkle mint leaves if desired and serve hot.