Zarda Candy Rice (Meethe Chawal)

Meethe Chawal, or Zarda Rice, is a candy, wealthy saffron rice adorned with nuts and raisins. This fragrant, candy, saffron-flavored rice is a royal dessert made on particular events and festivals. This simple recipe might be made with a number of substances in a single pot in lower than half-hour!

This candy rice is popularly identified in North India as Meethe Chawal. Meethe Chawal interprets to “candy rice”. In Pakistan as Zarda rice or Zafrani pulao. The title Zarda comes from the Persian phrase ‘zard’, which‬ means ‘yellow’. Therefore, this candy saffron rice is yellow coloured. This recipe is gluten-free and may simply be made vegan.

In North India, this candy rice is ready on the pageant of Lohri and served at weddings. My mother just lately instructed I make this simple recipe; my readers will adore it. So, I’m sharing her recipe for the stovetop, which has additionally been tailored to the immediate pot.

Another desserts I’ve discovered from my mother which can be at all times successful on any event are Rice Kheer, carrot halwa, or this Thandai (saffron-flavored milk) for the Holi pageant.

We make this Zarda Candy Saffron Rice with fragrant entire spices sautéed in ghee, saffron soaked in heat milk, which provides the rice its brilliant yellow shade, and many crunchy nuts and raisins. Sometimes, when making Zarda rice, meals shade is added. Nevertheless, I desire to make use of the pure shade of saffron, so I’ve skipped meals coloring on this recipe.

If you wish to make a savory model of this rice, try my Saffron Rice with nuts and raisins recipe.

Watch How one can Make Zarda Candy Rice

Zarda Components

Let’s begin with getting the substances prepared. You might need a lot of the substances in your pantry.

This recipe makes use of cashews, almonds, and raisins, however you possibly can substitute any nuts you have got available.

Sella basmati rice is the perfect to make use of when making meethe chawal. Nevertheless, common long-grain basmati rice works excellently on this recipe, too. I used common basmati rice, as I didn’t need to purchase a selected number of rice only for one dish, and I’m positive you all will desire the identical 🙂

How one can make Zarda Rice on the stovetop?

There are two methods to make this Zarda Rice on the stovetop. The primary is in a stovetop strain cooker, which you’ll be able to comply with the identical steps because the Immediate Pot technique. Strain prepare dinner for 1-2 whistles and let the strain launch naturally. I counsel rising the water to 1.25 cups when cooking within the stovetop strain cooker.

To make this candy rice in a pot, use a heavy backside pot and warmth it on medium-high warmth. The preliminary step to sauté nuts would be the similar. Then add the entire spices and rice. Then add 1.5  cups water together with the opposite substances. Change the warmth to medium-low and canopy the pot with a lid. Stir in between at common intervals. The rice will take about 15-20 minutes to prepare dinner and soak all of the liquids. Fluff the rice and add the sautéed golden nuts and raisins.

How one can make Meethe Chawal within the Immediate Pot?

We’ll begin by soaking saffron in heat milk. We need to soak the saffron for not less than 20 minutes earlier than making the rice in order that it releases its shade into the milk. This may give our rice the right yellow hue.

First, warmth ghee within the immediate pot and sauté the nuts and raisins. Hold stirring till they flip barely golden, then take away them and set them apart for later.

Then, add the remaining ghee to the moment pot, add the entire spices, and sauté them for 30 seconds till their aroma is launched. Then add the washed basmati rice and sauté for two minutes.

Now add the sugar, saffron milk, and water. Shut the lid and strain prepare dinner the rice.

I pressure-cooked the rice for 4 minutes and launched the strain manually 5 minutes after the beep. In case you are utilizing Sella basmati rice, pressure-cook it for six minutes, because it takes longer to prepare dinner. We need to be certain to not overcook the rice, as we would like every grain to be separate.

After opening the moment pot, fluff the rice with a fork. Then add the sautéed nuts we had saved apart. You may as well add desiccated coconut. Including coconut shouldn’t be typical in North India. Nevertheless, it’s common in Maharashtra in Western India, the place this similar dish is known as Candy Coconut Rice.

Try these 20 scrumptious Indian Desserts made within the Immediate Pot.

Serve heat and benefit from the aroma and scrumptious style of this aromatic Zarda Candy Rice!