Creamy Saffron Chicken Soup:

Saffron/Zaffron is one of the costliest spice/herb in the world. It costs more than Gold! These are actually flower’s anthers…..a fine strand that holds up the pollen grains! So….if one needs a gram of saffron, he needs to pluck at least 10,000 flowers. Now you know….why it is so expensive! These fragile strands has an amazing aroma and it gives rich yellow color to the food! It was used by our ancestors to bring good color to the food! And also it has several medicinal properties…..like it stops nausea, dizziness, clears bronchitis, treated for stomach ailments….etc. Royal cooks kept the secret for several years about this Zaffron! While commoners used ‘Turmeric’ in their dishes to bring color. Oh yeah……it does give the same color and of course turmeric has its own set of goodness in it. Since its very affordable….turmeric was/is still in practice to make any Indian dishes/curry. Historians and Anthropologist did a good job, releasing all the facts of royal cuisine….now though saffron is pricy, hope everyone could afford it! Maybe not every single day but atleast once in a while! I appreciate Saffron for its distinct flavour! Guess thats it is why Pregnant ladies are advised to have saffron infused milk….it stops nauseating feelings! Anyways….I do use saffron in my Biriyanis, pilaf, soup, tea and cold beverages.

Well…..as usual I was experimenting in my kitchen, it was another rainy afternoon and got so bored! Thought hearty soup could be a healthy choice! Chicken is all time charm for me….threw few spices, kept it simple today, guess what, it turned out great!!!

Ingredients:

Kashmir Saffron/ Spanish Saffron 1 teaspoon
Chicken breast cubed/chunks 1 cup
Veg or chicken broth 1 cup
Corn Starch 2-4 spoons
All purpose flour 2 spoon
Half n Half(in India – tetra pack milk)4 cups
Butter 1-2 cubes
Salt as per taste
White/black pepper ground to sprinkle .

Method:

Soak saffron in 1-2 tea spoons of milk for about an hour or two. Then grind them using mortar and pestle(marble one)….when the milk turns deep yellow, set aside.

In a shallow pan, melt butter. Add flour and corn starch to it. Saute’ them for 2 minutes or maybe till they turn to golden color.

Now add chicken and stir-fry them for 2 minutes. Then add chicken or veg broth to this. Bring it to boil. When it is almost half the way reduced….add half and half plus saffron to it. Continue boiling, stir continuously.

Let this achieve to rich creamy soup like consistency. See whether chicken is done, if not…continue cooking for few more minutes.

Serve warm with melted cheese on it. Sprinkle salt and pepper before serving. Enjoy!