Easy Zarda Recipe
This is a popular North Indian flavored rice recipe, made with basmati rice, saffron, and sugar. This dish is typically served as a dessert after a meal, or prepared for special occasions and festivals. The dish usually has a light yellow color due to the saffron used.
Necessary ingredients
Basmati or Seela Rice = 250 grams
Saffron = 1 piece
Sugar = 200 to 230 grams
Raisins = 2 tablespoons
Shredded Coconut = 4 tablespoons
Cloves = 3 to 4 pieces
Almonds, chopped = 2 tablespoons
Pistachios = 2 tablespoons
Green Cardamom = 3 to 4 pieces
Khoya (Indian dried milk product) = 100 grams
Ghee or Oil = 1/4 cup
Gulab Jamun or Cham Cham = As desired
Kewra Water = 1 tablespoon
Yellow or Orange Food Coloring = As needed
Recipe
First, soak the rice for one to one and a half hours. Drain the water and set aside. Then, in a large pot, add enough water for cooking, saffron, food coloring, and cloves. Bring to a boil, then add the soaked rice and continue to boil until the rice is almost cooked. Drain the water and set aside.
Heat ghee in a pan. Add cardamom, then layer the rice, and a layer of sugar. Mix chopped almonds, pistachios, coconut, and raisins together and spread this mixture on top. Repeat layering with the remaining rice. Reduce heat, cover the pan, and let the sugar dissolve. Increase the heat, uncover, and stir until all the water has evaporated and the rice is cooked through.
Once cooked, turn off the heat and stir in the kewra water. Garnish with khoya, gulab jamun, and/or cham cham. Serve and enjoy.
