Sweet Rice (Zarda) Recipe

Zarda is a sweet dish made of rice boiled with orange zest, milk, sugar, saffron and dry nuts and fruits. This sweet rice is mostly famous in Pakistan, Bangladesh and India.

The final result of the rigorous boiling, cooking and mixing is a rich dessert that is loaded with aromatic ingredients such as cardamom with a mouth watering flavor of coconut playing peek a boo with your sweet buds.

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Zarda Zing

A rice dessert enriched with cardamom, saffron and coconut.

Votes: 2
Rating: 4.5
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Rate this recipe!

Prep Time

20 minutes

Cook Time

45 minutes

Servings

MetricUS Imperial

Ingredients

• 1 cup Basmati rice
• 1 cup ½hot water
• cup ¾milk
• cup ¾sugar
• pinch aof Saffron
• Handful nuts of your choice
• Handful dry fruits of your choice
• 2 tbsp Dried Coconut
• 2 tbsp ghee
• ½ tbsp. orange zest
• tsp ¼Cardamom powder
• pinch Aof orange food coloring
• 2 tbsp paneer/khoya

Prep Time 20 minutes Cook Time 45 minutes Servings MetricUS Imperial Ingredients 1 cup Basmati rice 1 cup ½hot water cup ¾milk cup ¾sugar pinch aof Saffron Handful nuts of your choice Handful dry fruits of your choice 2 tbsp Dried Coconut 2 tbsp ghee ½ tbsp. orange zest tsp ¼Cardamom powder pinch Aof orange food coloring 2 tbsp paneer/khoya

Votes: 2 Rating: 4.5 You: Rate this recipe!

Instructions

1. Wash the rice, soak it for 15-20 minutes and drain the water completely.
2. Add the saffron strands and sugar to the milk. Microwave for a minute and let it soak.
3. Heat the ghee/butter in a pan and fry the nuts and dry fruits on low heat.
4. After the nuts turn golden brown and the dry fruits plump up, add the coconut pieces and drained rice.
5. Fry this in the same oil till the mix turns aromatic.
6. Add the hot water, kesari powder and orange zest.
7. Reduce the flame, cover with a lid and let it cook for 10 minutes. You can also cook everything in a rice cooker.
8. After the rice is 3/4th done, add the sweetened milk with saffron strands and cardamom powder.
9. Cover with the lid again and let it cook on very low heat for another 10-15 minutes.
10. Fluff up the rice gently with a fork and turn off the stove.
11. Garnish with grated paneer/khoya.
12. Serve.