Zarda- Meethi Chawal
A celebratory Pakistani sweet rice
Ingredients
- 275 grams basmati rice (1 mug) washed, soaked and drained before cooked
- 0.5 tsp yellow food colouring
- 1 pinch saffron optional
- 1 litre water
- 125 grams unsalted butter
- 3 cardamom pods, cracked
- 3 cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 175 grams granulated sugar (3/4 mug)
- 2 tbsp blanched/flakes almonds
- 1 tbsp dried coconut slices/ flakes optional
Instructions
- Wash the rice until the water runs clear and then soak the rice for at least 30 minutes. Drain the rice before cooking.
- Boil water in a medium size saucepan, and then add the yellow food colouring, saffron and drained rice and cook. Cook the rice until nearly cooked, about 5-6 minutes. The grains will have softened but not mushy in texture. (The rice will cook full in the oven at step 5 below) Drain off any excess water and put the rice back into the sauce pan.
- In a small sauce pan, add the butter and melt.
- Turn the heat down and add in the sugar, cardamon pods, cloves and cinnamon stick. simmer for 3-5 minutes. It should become quite paste like. This is called chashni, a sugar syrup.
- Add a tablespoon of the flaked almonds (and a tablespoon of the coconut) into the chashni.
- Then pour the chashni over the rice, stir through iso the rice and syrup are full combined. Then put the pan in the oven for steaming, "dham" for 20 minutes on 90 degrees, in a fan assisted oven.
- Sprinkle on the remaining almonds and serve.
