My paternal grandmother's grandfather made his way from Sabzevar, Iran, to Pakistan to spread Sufism. Persian cooking traditions endured in our family, even though my grandmother was born and brought up in Pakistan and later, married an Afghan. She knew how to elegantly bring Afghan and Persian cuisine together. (She was also adept at Ikebana, but that is a story for another place and time.) She would prepare this rice pudding, infused with saffron water, for Nazri, a religious vow of offerings of charity food to the needy. To prepare this, the rice is cooked till the separate rice grains disappear. Sounds like sacrilege coming from a Persian-Afghan kitchen, doesn't it? Don't be put off by this; the addition of rosewater, cinnamon, and cardamom makes a delicious dessert. I serve my guests a few tablespoons of this rich, fragrant pudding in a glass. Feel free to double it if you think 1/2 cup of basmati is not enough for 4 servings. NB: It is up to you—you can make the pudding so it is "all'onda" like risotto, or continue cooking it in the end to make it more thick.

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