Kashmiri
Zarda (Meetha Chawal)
- Duration: 40 minutes
- Serves: 2-3 people
Authenticity Slice
While adding water for cooking rice, it is best to add less than the usual amount, as rice needs to be only par-cooked till that stage.
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Made of long grain Basmati rice, Zarda, with a hint of saffron and cardamom for flavour, is the ideal sweet end to a delicious Kashmiri meal.
Ingredients
- Basmati rice (250 gm)
- Ghee (50 gm)
- Raisins (kishmish) (2 tsp)
- Almonds (badam), skinned and sliced (2 tsp)
- Cloves (laung) (4)
- Sugar (1 cup)
- Saffron (kesar) (a pinch)
- Keora water (exotic Indian plant also known as kevda) (1 tsp)
- Green cardamom (elaichi) (5)
- Milk (1 cup)
- MTR Garam Masala (1/4 tsp)
Method
- Soak the rice for an hour, drain and set aside.
- Heat ghee in a heavy-bottom pan and sauté raisins and almonds in it.
- Once the raisins are plump, strain and set aside.
- Now add in cloves and fry for a minute.
- Next, add soaked rice and fry for 5–10 mins. Pour 3 cups of water in the pan and allow the rice to boil.
- Once the rice has absorbed the water and is not fully cooked, add sugar. Stir to combine.
- Mix saffron with keora water, and grind the cardamom seeds.
- Add, and mix them into the rice along with sautéed almonds, MTR Garam Masala and raisins.
- Cover the pan and reduce the heat to lowest. Let the rice cook for 10 mins.
- After 10 mins, open the lid, add milk, stir, and once again cover the pan for another 10 mins.
- Before serving, fluff the rice with a fork or a spoon.
- Sprinkle with sliced almonds, pistachios and serve warm.
