Zarda

Cuisines

Best for

Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup	basmati rice
3 cups	water
1/2 cup	sugar
1/4 cup	ghee
1/4 cup	mixed nuts (almonds, cashews, pistachios)
2 tablespoons	raisins
1/4 teaspoon	saffron strands
1/4 teaspoon	cardamom powder
1	cinnamon stick
2	cloves
2	green cardamoms
—	orange food color (optional)
—	salt to taste

Instructions

1. 1 Wash and soak the basmati rice for 30 minutes.
2. 2 Boil 3 cups of water in a pot. Add a pinch of salt and the soaked rice.
3. 3 Cook the rice until it's 70% done, then drain and set aside.
4. 4 In a small bowl, soak saffron strands in 2 tablespoons of warm milk.
5. 5 Heat ghee in a pan. Add cinnamon stick, cloves, and green cardamoms. Sauté for a minute.
6. 6 Add mixed nuts and raisins to the pan. Fry until they turn golden brown.
7. 7 Add the partially cooked rice to the pan and mix gently.
8. 8 Sprinkle sugar evenly over the rice. Add the saffron milk and cardamom powder.
9. 9 Mix a few drops of orange food color with a tablespoon of water and sprinkle over the rice.
10. 10 Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid and cook on low heat for 10-15 minutes.
11. 11 Turn off the heat and let the Zarda sit covered for another 5 minutes.
12. 12 Fluff the rice gently with a fork before serving.