Zarda is a popular Pakistani sweet rice dish that is often served on special occasions such as weddings, Eid, and birthday parties. It is made with basmati rice, sugar, ghee, and a variety of nuts and dried fruits. This Special Zarda Recipe by Shireen Anwar is rich in flavor, vibrant in color, and has delicate texture.
To make this special Zarda, first we need to soak the rice for 30 minutes before cooking. This helps to ensure that the rice cooks evenly and becomes fluffy. The rice is then cooked in a pot with water, salt, green cardamom, and cloves. Once the rice is cooked, it is drained and set aside.
In a separate pan, melts ghee and adds sugar and stirs until the sugar dissolves and then adds the cooked rice. Then adds almonds and pistachios to the rice. The rice and sugar mixture is cooked on medium heat until the sugar syrup starts to dry.
At this point, lowers the heat and places a tawa (griddle) over the pan. Covers the pan with a damp cloth and allows the rice to cook on dum (low heat) for 15-20 minutes. This helps to steam the rice and gives it a fluffy texture. Once the rice is cooked, We will adds khoya (milk solids), ashrafis (silver leaf), gulab jamun, and chamcham over it and mixes everything together and then dish it out.
Give it a try to this Special Zarda Recipe by Shireen Anwar!!
Easy and elegant Special Zarda Recipe by Shireen Anwar, made with simple ingredients, yet elevated with the addition of saffron, khoya and nuts a perfect dessert for any occasion.
- 500 gm Basmati rice soaked
- ¼ tsp Yellow Color
- ½ tsp Salt
- 6 Green cardamoms
- 6 Cloves
- ½ cup Clarified Butter
- 4 tbsp Almonds & Pistachio sliced
- ½ kg Sugar
- 1 cup Khoya
- 2 tbsp Red & Green Cherries chopped
- 125 gm Gulab jamun
- 125 gm chamcham
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Soak rice in water for 30 minutes before cooking.
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Boil water in a deep pot with salt, green cardamom color, and cloves.
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Add rice in boiling water. Cook until 1/3 rd done.
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Drain and set aside.
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Heat ghee in a deep pan then add ½ cup water.
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Cook and add sugar. Stir until sugar dissolves.
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Add in boiled rice with almonds and pistachio.
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Cover and cook on medium flames till sugar syrup starts drying, lower heat and put pan under a tawa.
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Put it on dum, and cover it with a damp cloth till done.
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Sprinkle khoya, ashrafis, gulab jamun and chamcham on top.
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Dish it out.
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Special Zarda ready to serve.
Serve hot.
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