Popular sweet rice dish from the Indian subcontinent is called meethe zarda pulao. Basmati rice is often cooked with a variety of aromatic spices, saffron, and sugar to give it its distinctive sweetness. Additionally, rose water, cardamom, and nuts like almonds and raisins are frequently used to flavour the dish.The dish is a customary dessert that is frequently offered at festive events like weddings and other celebrations. It is particularly well-liked in Bangladesh, Pakistan, and India’s northern areas. Usually served as a stand-alone dessert, zarda recipe can also be savoured with a side of yoghurt or an ice cream scoop.In conclusion, zarda rice is a decadent dessert that is ideal for individuals who have a sweet taste. It is a beloved dish throughout the Indian subcontinent and beyond thanks to its distinctive combination of spices and flavours.
Zarda Pulao
What’s up guys you are Welcome to my new blog Today, I’m making meethe zarda pulao or Meethe Chawal. The festival of Baisakhi is going to come & during Baisakhi, Meethe Chawal are made in our home. Meethe Chawal are made in a lot of households. & today, I’m going to share a simple recipe for the same.
The rice for this zafrani zarda sweet chawal will be made in the cooker itself. No need to boil them separately. No need to make the sugar syrup, or too much fuss around it. These zarda pulao will be ready as a one-pot recipe in the pressure cooker itself quickly. It’s not just Baisakhi but even Ramzan is around the corner, & during Ramzan Zarda rice (sweet rice) is eaten. So you can make this recipe during Ramzan as well. It’s a very simple recipe.
About Zarda Recipe
The term zard, which in Persian and Urdu means “yellow,” gave the dish its name. The yellow colour of typical zarda pulao is a result of applying yellow food colouring. I didn’t use any artificial colours at all, just saffron to achieve the sunny colour in my Zarda recipe.
Prep time: 10 minutes (excluding soaking time) Cooking time: 15-20 minutes Serves: 5-6 people
Ingredients For Zarda Pulao
- SELLA BASMATI RICE 2.5 CUPS
- WATER AS REQUIRED
- GHEE 3-5 TBSP
- WHOLE SPICES
- CLOVES 5-6 NOS.
- GREEN CARDAMOM 5 NOS.
- CINNAMON STICK 1.5 INCH
- BLACK PEPPERCORNS 6 NOS.
- FRESH COCONUT 10-15 SLICES
- ALMONDS 10- 12 NOS.
- CASHEW 10-12 NOS.
- RAISINS 2 TBSP
- WATER 3 CUPS
- SALT A PINCH
- SUGAR 2.5 CUPS
- SAFFRON A FEW STRANDS
- ORGANIC FOOD COLOUR र (OPTIONAL)
How to make zarda pulao in cooker.
Soak Rice
Here, I’ve taken 2 cups of Sella Basmati rice for sweet rice. The type of rice is very important, use this variety of rice. to get best results. Wash this rice properly. Add water & wash them properly to remove the whitish residue. Wash it not just once but 3-4 times at least. until the water becomes clear. I’ve washed the rice 3-4 times Now the water is clear.
You have to soak them for 1/2 an hour. The variety of rice that we’ve used is Sella Basmati rice they are easily available in the market. & these give very good results for zarda pulao. as the grains of this rice doesn’t dry out too soon. Try to use this particular variety of rice for best results.
Pressure Cook Rice
Once your rice is cooked, let’s learn what is the further process. Our rice has been soaking for 1/2 an hour. You have to now strain it & remove the water. Once strained, we have to cook the rice. So take a pressure cooker, Add 2-3 tbsp of ghee in the pressure cooker. Once the ghee is heated, we have to add a few spices to it. 3-4 cloves, 3 green cardamom, 1 cinnamon stick,3-4 black peppercorns, I’ve added 8-10 slices of fresh coconut here. You can add dried coconut if you want. I’ve added 8-10 halved almonds & also 8-10 halved cashews, & add 1 tbsp raisins.
Make Zarda Pulao
Roast them on low flame until they get a light colour on them. I’ve used fresh coconut today, as it gives a nice bite to zarda pulao. You can even use dry coconut. It’s not a problem. Once you have toasted everything, then add the soaked rice to this. Very gently just coat the rice with ghee. Do it very gently to avoid breaking the rice grain.
Once you have gently stirred it for 1 minute, Then we have to add water to it. We had taken 2 cups of rice so I’ve taken 2.5 cups of water. For each cup of rice you have to take 1 1/4th cups of water. That is the proportion. I’ve added 2.5 cups of water. Add a pinch of salt. Along with that I’ve taken 2 cups of sugar. I’ve taken equal proportion of sugar as rice. So add 2 cups of sugar. & add a few strands of saffron to this.
Now you have to stir everything gently. After stirring, I’m adding a little bit of food colour, although it is optional. You can use organic food colour. You can add red, orange or yellow food colour. I’ve added orange food colour here. to give it a nice colour. Once you have stirred it nicely, then cover the lid of the cooker.
After covering the lid, you have to cook it on medium flame for 1 whistle. Once 1 whistle is done, then transfer this cooker on the smallest flame on your stove top, & cook the rice on the lowest flame for 10-12 minutes, without the whistle blowing.
Many people will ask how to not get the whistle blowing. Do it on smallest stove with lowest flame, whistle won’t blow. Cook it for 10-12 minutes & your rice will be perfectly cooked with each grain fluffy & separated nicely. I’ve cooked the rice for about 10-12 minutes. Turn the flame off.
Now, let it rest. Let the steam from the cooker settle naturally. Once the steam settles, check the whistle once, Now, open the cooker. Our rice is nicely cooked & there is no water left. Our rice is perfectly cooked. At this stage, what you have to do is turn the stove off & place the lid on top,
& let it rest for a minimum of 15 minutes before mixing it, otherwise the rice grain will break apart. Even the rice grain will soak up more of the sugar syrup, & you will get perfect Meethe Chawal. So, it is essential to give a rest for 15 minutes here.I have kept the rice to rest for 15 minutes, & the resting phase is very important like I already told you.
& you may have noticed that our rice is turned out perfect. By cooking it in the pressure cooker, makes the sugar syrup to nicely get infused into the rice, As it seeps in nicely, the Meethe Chawal turn out amazing. So, this is how you can make them.
After resting for 15 minutes, let’s learn how to mix or fluff them up. Using a spatula, start turning the rice from bottom to up like this, By doing so, the rice grains don’t break apart. So, mix it nicely. Even if there is some sugar syrup on the bottom, it will get mixed properly. Now gently I have mixed the rice grains.
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Our Indian sweet rice are ready.
Let’s plate it and serve this wonderful zarda pulao
Today, these Meethe Chawal have turned out to be so delicious, & it’s a very simple procedure. You learn how they get ready in the cooker in 10 minutes or so. Even the prep & rest time is very short, so you can quickly make the Meethe Chawal at home easily.
The Zarda rice or Pulao, sometimes, don’t have whole spices in it, so you can skip them. There may be slight variations in the process. But the whole spices have a lot of sweet notes to them & they give an amazing flavour to the Meethe Chawal.
So make it like this & I’m sure you all will like this recipe. Tell me in the comments how did you like this recipe. And Share this recipe with your friends & family. Hit the subscribe button if you’ve liked this recipe Have an amazing time with this beautiful recipe at your home.Cheers!
FAQs
Q: What is the traditional way of making Meetha Zarda Pulao?
Basmati rice is cooked with sugar, saffron, cardamom, rose water, a variety of nuts, and dried fruits in the traditional way to make Meetha Zarda Pulao.
Q: Can I use regular rice instead of basmati rice for this recipe?
Basmati rice is recommended for this recipe because it has a distinct flavour and aroma that go well with the other ingredients. If you can’t get basmati rice, you can use regular rice instead.
Q: How long does it take to cook Meetha Zarda Pulao?
Depending on the amount of rice and the heat setting, Meetha Zarda Pulao takes a different amount of time to cook. The rice must be cooked for a full 25 to 30 minutes, though.
Q: Can I make this dish in advance and reheat it later?
Yes, Meetha Zarda Pulao can be prepared in advance and afterwards reheated. To avoid drying out, it is advised to reheat it in the microwave or a nonstick pan with a small bit of water.
Q: Can I use honey instead of sugar for this recipe?
Yes, you can sweeten the Meetha Zarda Pulao with honey instead of sugar. However, it might alter the dish’s flavour and consistency.
Q: Can I skip any of the ingredients?
To suit your tastes, you can omit or change any of the ingredients. But what makes this dish special and wonderful is the way the flavours and spices are combined.
Q: What are some variations of Meetha Zarda Pulao?
For a more colourful and nutrient-dense version of Meetha Zarda Pulao, you can add fruits like pineapple, apple, or mango or layer cooked carrots and beets on top of the rice.