Zarda Sweet Rice
Zarda Sweet Rice is a fragrant, colourful dessert made with rice, sugar, aromatic spices, butter, and crunchy dry fruits. The rice is gently cooked with a buttery, sweet syrup until fluffy and infused with rich flavours.
- Prep time
- 10 min
- Cook time
- 35 min
- Yield
- 6 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 1 litre Water
- 500 g Rice
- 300 g Sugar
- 4 Cardamom
- 4 Cloves
- 1 tsp Food Colouring (yellow)
- 50 g Butter
- 50 ml Milk
- Almonds
- Cashews
Instructions
- 1
Rinse the rice thoroughly under cold water, then soak it for 20–30 minutes to ensure even cooking.
- 2
In a large pan, bring water to a boil over medium heat. Once boiling, add the rice along with cardamom, cloves, a cinnamon stick, and yellow food colour. Stir gently to mix the spices and colour evenly.
- 3
Cook the rice until it is about 80% done, keeping the grains slightly firm. Drain any excess water and set the rice aside.
- 4
In a separate pan, melt the butter over low heat until smooth and fragrant.
- 5
Add the sugar to the melted butter and stir gently. The sugar will not dissolve completely but will combine with the butter to form a crumbly, grainy mixture.
- 6
Pour in the milk and cook for 1–2 minutes while stirring to create a creamy, lightly sweet mixture.
- 7
Gently fold in the partially cooked rice, ensuring the grains are coated without breaking.
- 8
Sprinkle in your desired dry fruits such as almonds and cashews, then cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid.
- 9
Cook on low heat for 10–15 minutes, allowing the rice to absorb the flavours and become soft and aromatic.
- 10
Remove from heat and let it rest, covered, for a few minutes before serving.