Recipes with saffron to celebrate its harvest season

I have been on a digital clean-up these past few days, which means wading through 35,000-plus photos on my phone and deleting everything that does not spark joy. Yet, those ancient pioneers saw saffron’s potential as a spice, a dye and a medicine—making it one of the most prized culinary ingredients in human history. Watching the ice cube slowly melt around the roasted saffron, releasing its vibrant yellow hue and unmistakable sweet aroma, feels like a royal ceremony. Saffron rice Serves 3-4 Ingredients 8-10 strands of saffron 1 cup basmati rice 1 tbsp ghee 2 tbsp almonds, chopped 2 tbsp pistachios, chopped 2 tbsp cashewnuts, chopped 2-3 tbp mixed dried fruit 2 green cardamom 1 bay leaf 2 cinnamon sticks 4 cloves Half tsp salt 2 cups water Method Lightly roast saffron strands on low heat. Saffron-steamed yoghurt Serves 4-6 Ingredients 6-7 strands saffron 1 cup hung yogurt Three-fourth cup full-cream milk Half-cup condensed milk Few saffron strands for garnish Method Make the saffron infusion like in the first recipe.