Rose & Kewra Water

Rose water, gulab jal, is the fragrant water left after distilling rose petals. Kewra water, or keora, is distilled from the flowers of the screwpine, a pandanus plant, and has a sweet, heady, slightly green scent. Both are used in Mughlai, Hyderabadi, Lucknowi and Pakistani cooking, and they sit in our baking range beside flavouring essences.

Kewra water is sprinkled over dum biryani and pulao before sealing the pot, often with a little food colour stirred into saffron milk, and it scents korma, shahi tukda, rasmalai, kulfi and rabri. Rose water goes into the syrup for gulab jamun, into lassi, falooda, sherbet and firni, and into Middle Eastern desserts such as baklava and muhallabia. Many cooks keep both, choosing kewra for savoury rice dishes and rose for sweets and drinks.

Of the two, kewra is the more powerful, so start with a few drops and build up. Heat fades both aromas, so add them in the last minute of cooking or once the dish is off the heat. Keep the bottles tightly closed in a cool cupboard, and they hold their scent for many months.