This sweet rice recipe, otherwise known as zarda rice or meethe chawal, is a traditional Pakistani dessert prepared and enjoyed during Eid. This sweet rice is also served as a dessert on auspicious occasions such as weddings. The basic ingredients are basmati rice and sugar syrup, but it is the carefully chosen assortment of spices like green cardamom pods and cinnamon that make it more flavourful and aromatic. This Pakistani dessert recipe has a sprinkle of almonds and coconuts to add some colour and even more mouth-watering.

Zarda rice isn’t actually that frequently made in our house. Not because it’s not delicious (it is very much so), but because my mum says we can’t. The vast majority of the times I have ate this sweet rice recipe has been at weddings. I don’t really like how they make it at weddings though. The rice grains always seem way too hard for my liking. So, here’s my recipe for it!

The real name for this recipe is zarda rice. Zarda simply means ‘yellow’ in Urdu. As this rice recipe is yellow, hence the name. Kind of obvious really. No one in my family calls it that. We all call it meethi chawal. Meethi meaning sweet. Chawal meaning rice. So, sweet rice. I just thought I would give you a bit of information on the language.

Back to the recipe! I know I say that A LOT. I go off on tangents too much. This sweet rice recipe is extremely easy to make. It doesn’t take long at all. If you have time to boil rice, then you have time to make this rice recipe. It is classed as a dessert, but who cares? Eat it whenever you want. I like to have mine alongside a cup of tea. Although I like to have everything with a cup of tea. My siblings think I have a tea addiction. (Not true).

This zarda rice is a sweet dish recipe that is a traditional Pakistani dessert recipe perfect for all special occasions.

Zarda Rice

by Sadia Halimah Aziz

A delicious and aromatic Pakistani dessert recipe. Traditionally prepared for Eid and weddings this dessert is so easy to make that you can make it whenever. This mouth-watering recipe is made of soft, fluffy, and sweet grains of rice. An absolute showstopper!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 40 mins

Total Time 45 mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine Pakistani/Indian

Servings 5 servings

Calories 466

Ingredients

  

Rice

• 300 g Basmati Rice
• ½ tsp Orange Food Colouring

Sugar Syrup

• 100 g Butter
• 150 g Granulated Sugar
• 3 tbsp Water
• 1 tsp Sultanas
• 1 tsp Green Cardamom Pods/Bari Elachi
• 1 tsp Almonds/Badam
• 1 tbsp Coconut/Khopra chopped
• ½ inch Cinnamon/Darchini

Instructions

 

• In a bowl soak the rice for at least 10 minutes
• As the rice is left to soak bring a large pot of water to a gentle boil then add the orange food colouring and stir to combine
• Drain the rice and add to the pan oil then allow to gently simmer for 15-17 minutes until the rice grains are tender
• As the rice is cooking add the butter into another pan allow to melt completely on low heat
• Add the sultanas and the granulated sugar then cook on medium heat for 1-2 minutes until sugar has completely dissolved
• Add the water and cook for a further 1-2 minutes until the sultanas have puffed up
• Add the green cardamom pods, almonds, coconuts, and cinnamon then cook for 2-3 minutes
• Drain the rice and add into the pan then mix the rice gently into the sugar syrup before cover with a lid and a tea towel and cook on low heat for 15 minutes – place the tea towel underneath the lid and wrap it around then place the lid on top of the pan
• Remove the lid and cook for 1-2 minutes until the water has been absorbed or evaporated
• Your sweet rice is ready!

Video

Keyword eid, party, sweet