How to use saffron: soaking and how much

Some cooks warm the threads in a dry pan for a few seconds before crushing them. It is not essential, and saffron scorches easily, so keep the heat very low if you try it.

How much to use

There is no single right amount, because it depends on the dish and on your taste. As a rough guide:

• A cup of milk or kahwa: two to four threads.
• Rice for four, such as a pulao or zarda: a good pinch.
• Kheer or phirni for six to eight: a good pinch, soaked in a little of the milk.
• A cake or a batch of biscuits: a pinch, soaked in the milk or water the recipe uses.

Start with less. Too much saffron tastes bitter, almost metallic, and you can always add a little more next time.

When to add it

Add saffron towards the end of cooking where you can, so long heat does not dull it. In rice, pour the saffron milk over the top before the final steaming, and you get that mix of gold and white grains. In kheer and phirni, stir it in once the milk has thickened. In a drink like Kashmiri kahwa, add the threads to the cup or the pot just before serving.

Storing saffron

Keep saffron in a small airtight container, away from light, heat and damp. A dark cupboard is better than a spice rack by the stove. Take threads out with dry fingers or a dry spoon. Kept this way, saffron holds its colour and aroma longer, so there is no need to buy more than you will use in a season.

What to cook with it

Saffron belongs in sweet and savoury dishes alike. Try it in kahwa, in warm milk with a few slivered almonds, in pulao and biryani, in kheer, phirni and halwa, and in cakes and shortbread. Our guide to dry fruits in halwa, kheer and phirni has simple home versions of the sweets.

You will find saffron in Harud Spices, beside the other Kashmiri spices, and you can search the shop for saffron to see every pack.