Zarda (Meethe Chawal - Sweet Rice) - Foolproof!

A bowl of Zarda ready to be eaten with a spoon.

Zarda (Meethe Chawal - Sweet Rice) - Foolproof!

Here's a traditional Zarda recipe that takes the guesswork out of classic Meethe Chawal (or Sweet Rice). Yes to old-school, nostalgic flavor without fear or fuss. This recipe requires 6 ingredients, one pot (if you'd like), and around 15 minutes of active time. Tested to perfection!

Course Dessert

Cuisine Indian, Pakistani, Punjabi

Diet Gluten Free, Halal, Vegetarian

Keyword meethe chawal, sweet rice, zarda, Zarda recipe

Cook Time 30

Soak Time 30

Total Time 30

Servings servings

Calories 265

Author Izzah Cheema

Cost $5

Equipment

Lightweight nonstick Dutch oven – less chance of sticking to bottom

Ingredients

1 cup aged long-grain basmati rice
2 tbsp ghee or butter (salted or unsalted)
4-5 green cardamom pods slightly cracked open
1/4 cup water
1/3 cup whole milk
3/4 cup raw cane sugar or regular white sugar
1/8 tsp yellow or orange food color
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp orange blossom water or kewra essence depending on how strong it is - optional

For serving:

Malai Indian/Pakistani Cream or any thick cream (optional)
Slivered almonds to garnish (optional)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Place the rice in a bowl and thoroughly wash until the water runs clear. Soak in water for 30 minutes, then strain.
Parboil the rice: Place a medium pot or nonstick Dutch Oven over high heat and bring 5 cups (1.25 quarts) of water to a rolling boil. (Cover the pot with a lid to speed this up.)
Add the rice and bring it back up to a boil. Once it comes to a boil again, boil for 6 minutes and 30 seconds (no more than 7 minutes), or until the rice is fully cooked but has a slight bite to it. Instead of breaking into pieces, it should get slightly mushy when pressed between your fingers. (See Note 1) Drain and set aside.
Heat a medium nonstick Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once hot, heat ghee and add the cardamom pods. Stir for a few seconds to infuse the oil. Then add the sugar, water, food coloring, and salt. Stir and allow the sugar to completely dissolve (1-2 minutes). Add the milk and bring the mixture to a simmer (~1-2 minutes). The thickness of your pot will affect this timing. You’re looking to dissolve the sugar, but not thicken the syrup.
Add the rice and use a rice paddle to fold very gently until all the rice is coated evenly in sugar syrup. (Careful here not to break the rice. If you can, lift the pot and swirl around to mix.) Bring to a gentle boil and allow to simmer, undisturbed, for 2 minutes, until the sugar syrup has reduced and the rice is no longer watery (see photo + video). Sprinkle in orange blossom/kewra water, if using.
Layer the lid with a kitchen cloth (or aluminum foil) and seal tightly to contain the steam. At first, keep the pan on medium heat to allow to build steam for 1-2 minutes. You’ll start to feel the steam escaping the sides of the pot. Then turn down to the lowest heat and allow it to cook in its steam (‘dum’) for 10-15 minutes. The liquid should be fully absorbed and the rice fully cooked.
Turn off the heat and allow it to rest with the lid on for another 10 minutes. Serve with malai (cream), if desired.

Video

Notes

Note 1: How long you boil the rice will depend on the age of your rice (6-7 minutes for aged rice, 5-6 for younger/newly harvested). The rice should be almost fully cooked, so that if you press between your fingers, it gets slightly mushy instead of breaking. See post for more tips on how long to boil the rice for Zarda.

Note 2: The rice should be fully cooked, soft, and fluffy. If not, here are a few tips for troubleshooting the rice:

Troubleshooting Rice:

If the rice is firm or still has room to cook (i.e. your rice still has bite to it), it likely needed to be boiled longer initially. To fix, sprinkle 2-4 tbsp of water on the rice. Cover and allow it to cook on low heat for another 5-10 minutes.
If the Zarda rice is fully cooked but has a bit of moisture/water left, cover and cook on medium heat for another 5 minutes, then lower the heat to low and cook until the moisture has absorbed.

Doubling the Recipe: If doubling or tripling the recipe, you'll need to reduce down the syrup for longer (1-2 extra minutes) before and after adding the rice.

Store and Reheat:

Store: Zarda keeps well in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can also freeze it in an airtight container up to a month.
Reheat: Sprinkle 2-3 tablespoons of water, depending on how firm the rice is. You can also place a moist paper towel over the rice. Microwave until heated through.

Equipment: Instead of a heavy bottomed Dutch oven, I like to use a lightweight nonstick Dutch oven – less chance of sticking to bottom. I use the same nonstick Dutch oven to boil the rice and make the zarda. If you'd like, you can use a smallish stockpot so it’s easier to boil the rice.

Nutrition