• Wash the rice until the water looks clear. This will take about 2 or 3 washes. Add fresh water and soak the rice for a minimum of 30 minutes.
• Soak the saffron strands in ¼ cup of chilled milk for 15 minutes.
• Heat 1-liter fresh milk in a saucepan on medium flame. Once the milk starts to boil gently, add only the soaked rice and discard the water.
• Simmer the milk with rice on low flame for about 45 to 50 minutes. Keep stirring every 5 minutes to avoid the kheer from sticking to the bottom.
• After 50 minutes you will see that the milk mixture is now reduced to half. The kheer will now look thick and grainy. Add sugar, soaked saffron milk, rose water, and cardamom powder. Stir gently and simmer on low flame for 5 minutes.
• Turn off the heat and let it cool down to room temperature.

For apple sauce

• Peel and finely chop 3 apples. Cook the chopped apples with a half a cup of water, sugar, and a pinch of cinnamon powder. Stir well, place the lid and cook on low flame for 20 minutes occasionally stirring. Once the water is dried and apples are cooked through, add a pinch of saffron soaked in water. Try to mash the cooked apple chunks with the ladle. Turn off the heat and let it cool down to room temperature.
• In a single serving glass or bowl, layer the rice kheer and top it with a tablespoon of apple sauce. You can either serve it warm or chilled.