Kashmiri Zarda
Veg
Sweet saffron rice — basmati cooked in sugar syrup with Pampore saffron, cardamom, and ghee until each grain is golden-orange and fragrant, then garnished generously with fried dry fruits and edible silver leaf. The sweet closing rice course of the Kashmiri Wazwan, its golden colour derived entirely from the world's most prized saffron grown in the Pampore fields just outside Srinagar.
Cuisines
Kashmiri
Mughlai
Best for
Lunch
Dinner
Recipe
Prep: 20 min
Cook: 40 min
Total: 60 min
2-3 servings
Ingredients
| 1 cup | basmati rice |
| 2 cups | water |
| 1/2 cup | sugar |
| 1/4 cup | ghee |
| 1/4 cup | mixed nuts (almonds, pistachios, cashews) |
| 1/4 cup | raisins |
| 1/4 teaspoon | saffron strands |
| 1/4 teaspoon | cardamom powder |
| 1 | bay leaf |
| 1 inch | cinnamon stick |
| — | salt to taste |
Instructions
- 1 Wash and soak the basmati rice for 30 minutes.
- 2 In a small bowl, soak saffron strands in 2 tablespoons of warm water.
- 3 Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a pot. Add the soaked rice, bay leaf, and a pinch of salt.
- 4 Cook the rice until it's 70% done, then drain and set aside.
- 5 In a heavy-bottomed pan, heat ghee over medium heat.
- 6 Add the cinnamon stick and mixed nuts, sauté until the nuts are golden brown.
- 7 Add raisins and sauté for another minute until they puff up.
- 8 Stir in the partially cooked rice, sugar, cardamom powder, and saffron water.
- 9 Mix gently to combine all ingredients, ensuring the rice grains do not break.
- 10 Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid and cook on low heat for 10-15 minutes until the rice is fully cooked and the flavors meld together.
- 11 Fluff the rice gently with a fork before serving.
Tips
For extra flavour, use whole spices in the oil first.