Meethe Chawal Recipe - Zarda Pulao
Meethe Chawal, a sweet rice which is usually made during festivals and special occasions. Serve it as a deesert with your favourite meal.
Meethe Chawal Recipe is a sweet preparation of rice often served as dessert. There is a warmth of whole spice combined with rice flavors of saffron and cardamom.
Meethe Chawal is a popular dessert in Northern province of India. Delicious saffron and cardamom flavored Meethe Chawal are a perfect end to any Mughlai/ Punjabi meal. No Punjabi festive celebration is complete without a bowl full of Meethe Chawal.
Serve Meethe Chawal (Zarda Pulao) warm, garnished with sliced pistachio and almonds for a festive dessert or a dessert for a party when you plan a Mughlai Meal.
If you are looking for more Rice Recipes, here are some that you can try in your kitchen:
- Balinese Black Rice Pudding Recipe
- Fenugreek & Egg Fried Rice Recipe (Anda Methi Chawal)
- Bengali Holud Mishti Pulao Recipe (Saffron Flavored Rice With Nuts Recipe)
10 M
40 M
50 M
4 Servings
Ingredients
- 1 cup Basmati rice , or any long grain rice
- 2 Saffron strands
- 1 tablespoon Milk
- 1/2 cup Sugar
- 4 Cardamom (Elaichi) Pods/Seeds
- 1 inch Cinnamon Stick (Dalchini)
- 1/4 cup Badam (Almond) , sliced
- 1/4 cup Pistachios , sliced
- 2 tablespoon Raisins
- 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric powder (Haldi)
- Cooking oil , for cooking
How to make Meethe Chawal Recipe - Zarda Pulao
To begin making the Meethe Chawal Recipe (Zarda Pulao), first clean, wash and soak rice in enough water for 15 - 20 minutes.
Next dry roast the saffron strands in a small pan for few seconds. Turn off the heat. Add milk and stir to combine. Keep aside.
Now bring 4 cups of water to boil in a large saucepan. Add half a stick of cinnamon and 2 cloves in the boiling water.
Drain the soaked rice in a colander and add in the boiling water.
Cook the rice till almost done but not fully cooked through. Once again drain the cooked rice in a metal colander and keep aside.
Heat ghee in a heavy bottomed pan. Add remaining cinnamon, cloves and cardamom. Stir for few seconds to release the aroma of spices.
Next add the rice along with sugar, saffron, dry fruits, raisins and turmeric. Drizzle a tablespoon or so of water. Stir to evenly combine.
Cover the pan with a tight fitting lid and turn the heat to low.
Let the rice simmer for 5 - 10 minutes on low heat. Turn off the heat. Do not open the lid immediately. Let the rice absorb the flavors for sometime.
Open the lid, fluff the rice with a fork .
Serve Meethe Chawal (Zarda Pulao) warm, garnished with sliced pistachio and almonds for a festive dessert or a dessert for a party when you plan a Mughlai Meal.
Hina Gujral
She is a Banker by Education, A Food Blogger, A Food Photographer, A Food Stylist and many more. Her recipes have been published at CaLDRON (along with her food photograph making it to the cover page), NDTV Good Times, The Society. She loves to spend time reading fiction and playing with her dog, accompanied with a lot of adventure travels. She writes about food and her food travels at Fun Food & Frolic
