How to Use Saffron: Quick Answer
How to use saffron at home? Soak the strands in 2–3 spoons of warm milk or water for 15–20 minutes. Add this kesar liquid near the end of cooking and don’t boil the strands directly. For one glass of kesar doodh, 3–5 strands are enough. In a hurry? Crush the strands with a pinch of sugar and stir them in.
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The basic method
Kesar needs a little warmth and a little time to give its colour. This one method works for almost every dish.
- Take 2–3 spoons of warm (not boiling) milk or water in a small katori
- Drop in the strands and leave them for 15–20 minutes
- The liquid turns golden orange as the kesar opens up
- Add the strands and the liquid together, near the end of cooking
Quick hack: crush with sugar
No time to soak? Put the strands in a small bowl with a pinch of sugar and crush them with the back of a spoon. The sugar grains help break the kesar into a fine powder.
- Stir this powder into warm milk or your dish
- It gives colour faster than whole strands
- My father crushes kesar on the silbatta for our Diwali kheer, same idea (read: Panchmeva Kesar Kheer)
How much kesar to use
Kesar is strong, so a chutki bhar kesar goes a long way. Use this table as your starting point.
| Dish | Strands |
|---|---|
| 1 glass kesar doodh | 3–5 |
| Kheer or phirni (1 litre milk) | 15–20 |
| Biryani (4 people) | 15–20 |
| Kahwa (4 cups) | 6–8 |
| ½ kg mithai | 10–15 |
| Kesar pani (1 glass) | 3–4 |
- 1 gram of kesar is roughly 400–500 strands
- So a 1 g dabbi lasts many dishes if you use it this way
- Start low. You can always add 2 more strands, but you can’t take them out
5 easy ways to use kesar at home
These are the dishes where kesar makes the biggest difference. Each one uses the same soaking method above.
1. Kesar doodh
Warm a glass of milk, add 3–5 soaked strands, a little sugar and a pinch of elaichi. In winter, this feels warm and cosy before bed.
- Add the kesar after you switch off the flame
- Full recipe: (read: Kesar Doodh Recipe)
2. Kheer and phirni
Add soaked kesar in the last 5 minutes, after the rice is soft and the milk has thickened. At Diwali we always make phirni at home.
- 15–20 strands for 1 litre milk
- (read: Kesar Phirni Recipe)
3. Biryani
Drizzle the kesar milk over the top layer of rice just before you put the biryani on dum. You get those golden and white grains.
- 15–20 strands in 3–4 spoons warm milk for 4 people
- Don’t mix it in fully. Patches of colour look nicer
4. Kahwa and chai
For kahwa, add the strands while the green tea steeps on low flame with elaichi and dalchini. I make kahwa only in winter.
- 6–8 strands for 4 cups
- (read: Kashmiri Kahwa Recipe)
5. Diwali sweets
Barfi, peda, ladoo and shrikhand all take kesar well. Add the soaked kesar once the mixture is almost done.
- 10–15 strands for ½ kg mithai
- (read: Kesar in Diwali Sweets)
Common mistakes to avoid
Most people who say “kesar has no taste” are making one of these. Fix them and the same strands will work much better.
- Boiling the strands directly. High heat dulls the aroma. Soak first, add near the end
- Using too much. Extra kesar tastes bitter and slightly medicinal
- Soaking in cold water. It works, but slowly. Warm liquid is quicker
- Storing near the stove. Heat and steam ruin kesar. Keep it in a sealed glass jar in a cool, dark shelf
Which kesar to buy
Good kesar gives colour slowly and smells sweet and earthy. I prefer Mongra grade for its denser fragrance and flavour.
- Check purity at home first (read: How to Identify Pure Kashmiri Kesar)
- Know the grades (read: Kashmiri Saffron Grades)
- The last kesar we ordered from Kashmir was ₹720 per gram and passed the water test
One more use I love
Kesar isn’t only for the kitchen in my house. I crush a few strands into my multani mitti face pack too (read: Kesar Face Pack).
How to Use Saffron FAQs
1 glass doodh mein kitni kesar? 3–5 strands are enough for one glass. Soak them in a spoon of warm milk first, then stir into the glass.
Kesar ka doodh kab peena chahiye? There’s no fixed time. Most families have it at night, and it’s especially nice on winter evenings.
1 din mein kitna kesar? A few strands in your food or doodh is normal kitchen use. Large amounts are not. If you are pregnant or on any medicines, ask your doctor first.
Can I eat the strands? Yes. Soaked strands are soft and fine to eat in kheer, doodh or mithai.
Milk or water to soak? Use milk for sweets and doodh, water for biryani, kahwa and kesar pani. Both give good colour.
