Zarda Rice or meethe chawal or zarda or zarda pulao or sweet rice is a fragrant sweet pulao made with rice, dry fruits, and saffron. The typical zarda pulao has a yellow color in the cooked rice grains. This color is got by using yellow food color. Zarda pulao is so-called as the word “zard” means “yellow color” in Persian and Urdu language. Sweet rice pulao is easy to cook and good in taste. Kids are very fond of eating sweet rice.
Serve sweet rice with moong mogar and plain curd.
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cup rice
- 3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon spoon ghee
- 7 to 8 strands of saffron
- 2 green cardamom
- 7 – 8 almonds
- 7 – 8 cashews
- 1 tablespoon raisins
- 6 to 7 coconut chips
- 1 tablespoon chironji
- 1/4 teaspoon yellow food color
Method:
- Wash rice and soak in water for 1 hour.
- Heat 3.5 cups of water in a pan. Once it comes to a boil, add the soaked rice without water.
- Cook till the rice is about 80% done.
- Strain the water and let it cool.
- Add ghee in a wok and dry roast almonds, cashews, raisins, coconut chips.
- Remove in a plate and keep aside.
- The same wok adds sugar and 1/4 cup water and heat.
- Add yellow food color, crushed cardamom, and chironji, saffron strand.
- Stir occasionally till sugar dissolve.
- Add rice to it and roasted dry fruits and mix well.
- Heat this mixture until all water should be absorbed.
- Served hot with mogar and plain curd.
