Zarda (Pakistani Sweet Rice) – Meethe Chawal
Looking for a rich and festive dessert? This easy Zarda Pakistani sweet rice recipe is fragrant, colorful, and packed with nuts, saffron, and cardamom. Perfect for Eid, weddings, or a sweet treat anytime!
Table of contents
What is Zarda
Zarda, also called Meethe Chawal or Sweet Yellow Rice, is a traditional Pakistani dessert made with rice, sugar, saffron, and nuts. The word “Zarda” comes from the Persian and Urdu word zard (زرد), which means yellow, a perfect name for this bright and beautiful dish.
This sweet rice recipe is flavored with cardamom, saffron, and rose water, and it’s packed with dry fruits and nuts, including almonds, pistachios, and raisins. It’s often topped with khoya, gulab jamun, rasgulla, and edible silver leaf (chandi warq) to make it extra rich and festive.
Zarda is a must-have on Eid, at weddings, or any special occasion. It’s sweet, and aromatic, and pairs wonderfully after a spicy meal. You’ll love the warm notes of cardamom, saffron, and rose water.
It looks fancy, but it’s actually very easy to make with the right steps. You can cook this iconic dessert in under 40 minutes using simple ingredients from any South Asian store.
Why You’ll Love this Zarda Recipe
- Vibrant yellow color from saffron or natural food coloring
- Delicious flavor with cardamom, kewra, rose water, and dry fruits
- Quick and easy to make, ready in just 40 minutes
- Perfect for Eid, weddings, or any time you crave a sweet treat
- Can be served warm or chilled, based on your preference
Ingredients
For Cooking the Sweet Rice:
Optional Garnish:
Variations
- Use turmeric and saffron instead of food color for a natural yellow hue. You can skip the yellow color for white sweet rice too.
- Swap sugar with brown sugar or jaggery powder.
- If basmati rice is tricky for you, use sella rice. It holds its shape better and doesn’t turn mushy.
- Make it vegan by using any neutral oil instead of ghee.
- Add a few dried orange peels for a citrus aroma and a unique twist.
How to Serve Zarda
It’s great for Eid, weddings, dinner parties, or festive gatherings.
- Serve warm on its own or with a hot cup of chai (tea).
- It makes a perfect dessert after a spicy meal.
- In many homes, it’s served with biryani or pulao for a sweet and savory combo, and it’s highly recommended!
- Great as a festive dessert or weekend treat.
Storage & Reheating
- Store leftover Zarda in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- You can also freeze it for up to 1 month.
- Reheating: Reheat with a splash of milk or water in the microwave.
Expert Tips for Perfect Zarda
- Adjust the sugar to match your taste preference.
- Always use long-grain basmati rice for the best texture.
- Cook in a wide pot to prevent the rice from breaking.
- If the rice is still firm, sprinkle 3 to 4 tablespoons of water, cover, and steam on low heat for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Don’t overcook the rice. Keep it fluffy, not mushy.
- Toppings are optional, use your favorite nuts, or sweets, or keep it simple!
How to Prepare the Saffron Mixture
- Grind saffron strands in a mortar and pestle until fine. Add 1 tablespoon of hot water (or warm milk) and stir until dissolved.
- Alternatively, soak the saffron in warm water or milk for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Tip: Grinding releases more color, aroma, and flavor than soaking alone.
FAQs
If your Zarda rice turns out hard, it’s likely undercooked or didn’t have enough moisture while steaming. Make sure the rice is parboiled (about 75% cooked) before layering. If it still feels firm after cooking, sprinkle 3 to 4 tablespoons of water or milk over it, cover the pot tightly, and steam on low heat for an additional 5 to 10 minutes. This helps soften the rice without making it mushy.
Yes, you can use saffron or a pinch of turmeric for a natural yellow color instead of food coloring.
Yes, both brown sugar and jaggery are great alternatives for a healthier or deeper flavor twist.
Long-grain basmati rice works best. If you struggle with overcooking, you can use sella rice which holds its shape well.
More Pakistani Desserts
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Recipe
Zarda (Pakistani Sweet Rice)
Ingredients
For Boiling Rice:
- 2 cups long-grain basmati rice (soaked for 30 minutes)
- 5 cups water
- 4 pods green cardamom (slightly cracked open)
- 1 star anise
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 3-4 cloves
- ½ teaspoon yellow food color
For Assembling:
- 2 tablespoons desi ghee or clarified butter
- 1½ cups fine granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon cardamom powder
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg powder
- 1 teaspoon kewra essence
- 1 teaspoon rose water
- 15-20 strands saffron (dissolved in a little hot water, see method above)
For Garnishing (Optional):
- ¼ cup pistachios (roughly chopped)
- ¼ cup dried coconut (thinly sliced)
- ¼ cup almonds (slivered)
- ¼ cup raisins
- dried rose petals or rose buds (as desired)
- ½ cup khoya
- 4-5 gulab jamuns
- 4-5 rasgullas
- 3-4 edible silver leaves or chandi warq
Instructions
- In a large pot, add water, green cardamom, star anise, cinnamon, cloves, and food color. Stir and bring to a boil. Add the soaked rice and cook until parboiled (about 75% cooked).
- Immediately strain the rice and set aside.
- In a thick-bottomed pot, melt the desi ghee and evenly spread the parboiled rice over it.
- Sprinkle the sugar, cardamom powder, and nutmeg powder over the rice. Drizzle the kewra essence, rose water, and saffron water on top.
- Add the pistachios, coconut, almonds, and raisins.
- Place a towel or aluminum foil over the pot, then cover with a tight lid. Steam cook on the lowest heat for 20 – 25 minutes (this steaming process is called dum). Cook until the rice is fully done and the sugar has dissolved. Avoid overcooking, or the rice may become mushy.
- Once done, turn off the heat. Uncover and gently fluff the rice with a spatula to mix in the sugar.
- Let it sit covered for a few minutes to absorb any remaining moisture.
- Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with rose petals, khoya, gulab jamuns, rasgullas, and silver leaves. It’s totally up to you how you would like to relish your Zarda.
- Serve warm and Enjoy! And remember “COOKING IS EASY!”
Video
Notes
- Use high-quality, long-grain basmati rice for best results.
- Use a wide cooking pot to prevent the rice from breaking during cooking.
- If the rice still feels undercooked, sprinkle 3 – 4 tablespoons of water over it, cover, and cook on low heat for another 5 to 10 minutes.
