The name Zarda is derived from the Persian and Urdu words Zard, meaning yellow. The dish got its name because it is prepared using the color yellow. Zarda also known as meethe chawal is usually prepared on special occasions like weddings, festivals and celebrations. Zard can quite often be perceived as a refined and difficult recipe, it is not as difficult as it seems.
Zarda Rice Meethe Chawal is a typical Pakistani-Indian dessert made from sweet and fragrant yellow basmati rice with crunchy nuts and chewy raisins. It’s an easy dish to enjoy as an everyday treat, but you can prepare it to impress guests for any occasion.
HOW TO MAKE THE BEST ZARDA RICE
- Cook Basmati Rice: Bring water to a boil in a large pot, add rice and stir in yellow food coloring. Cook until the rice is about 3/4 done, then drain and set aside.
- Make the chashni: In the same pot, add the ghee, then roast the cardamom and cloves for about a minute until fragrant. Add the sugar and water and gently stir over medium heat until the sugar is completely dissolved.
- Combine: Once the sugar has dissolved, add the rice and stir to coat the rice evenly with the sugar syrup. Remove the lid, add the rest of the nuts and mix thoroughly.
- Steaming: Reduce the heat of the stove to minimum, add a flat tawa and place the pot on it. Cover tightly and let the rice finish cooking on low heat for about 15-20 minutes. This steaming process is called “dum” and the timing may vary until the rice is fully cooked.
- Use milk instead of water. This gives the cracker a richer taste! Sometimes I also sprinkle my Zarda with powdered milk, try it if you don’t think it’s weird. This adds a pleasant floral taste and sweet aroma.
- Add khoya or mawa. It is a popular dairy product widely used in Indian sub continental dishes. But don’t add too much as it will affect the texture of the dish.
- Vegan it. All the ingredients for this recipe are natural and plant-based except for the ghee. If you’re on a vegan diet, use avocado or coconut oil instead.
INGREDIENTS FOR MAKING BEST ZARDA RICE
- Basmati Rice β Sella basmati rice is the ideal type for this recipe, so use it if you can. However, feel free to use regular long grain basmati rice if you have it, which I also use for my Biryani recipe. Do not use short grain rice for this; it becomes sticky and mushy when cooked.
- Nuts – use chopped pistachios, roughly chopped almonds and roughly chopped cashews. Feel free to use other types, such as macadamia nuts, pecans or walnuts.
- Spices β Cardamoms give the sugar syrup a citrusy and menthol flavor, while cloves lavang bring a touch of earthiness and warmth. It makes chashni (sugar syrup) and silky and shiny surface. You can also try using other organic canes, coconut or dates
- Sugar. You can use regular white refined sugar. You can also try using other organic cane, coconut, or date
sugar. - Water β for cooking basmati rice and for thinner consistency of chashni.
- Yellow Food Color β This is an optional ingredient, but it is what gives Zarda its beautiful yellow hue. I used gel food coloring that I got from Wilton, but you can use Zarda Rang if available or regular liquid food coloring.