Baked Basmati Rice with Saffron, Cashews, and Raisins

This recipe intrigued me because of its use of cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, and saffron - all of which I had on hand. My kitchen was filled with an amazing aroma as this cooked, and it tastes delicious! Not too sweet, and it has an interesting look - pink from the saffron, and a bit chunky with the nuts, raisins, and spices.

The only substitution I had to make was with the nuts - no cashews here, so I put in pecans instead.

My only criticism is that the final product is pretty dry. Either this needs to cook for a shorter time, or have more liquid - or maybe both. I compensated by adding milk, which made it perfect.

This would also make a pretty good rice pudding, but I would then add an egg and more milk to make it a bit more custard-like.