Al Noor

Al Noor is a label for traditional flavouring waters, and the bottle we carry is kewra water. Kewra comes from the fragrant flowers of the screwpine, a pandanus plant, which are distilled to give a clear water with a heady scent somewhere between rose and fresh hay, used throughout North Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi cooking.

Al Noor kewra water sits in our rose and kewra water collection, part of the wider baking shelf with essences and colours. Kewra water is a diluted distillate, much gentler than kewra essence, so it can be measured by the spoonful while essences are used by the drop.

Biryani is where kewra matters most: in Lucknowi and Hyderabadi biryani a sprinkle goes over the final layer of rice with saffron milk before the pot is sealed for dum. It is added to korma, nihari and shami kebabs, and stirred into the syrup for rasmalai, rasgulla and gulab jamun. Kheer, firni and shahi tukda often finish with a few drops, and it flavours paan, sherbets and lassi. Use it at the end of cooking, since long boiling drives off the scent, and start with less than you think, because too much makes food taste soapy.

Keep the bottle tightly capped in a cool, dark cupboard, where the fragrance lasts well. To compare stronger concentrates, see our essences collection, and for the spice blends that go with it look at biryani and pulao masala.