Originating in the Mughal Era, Zarda is a famous South-Asian delight, made with orange-coloured rice mixed with dry fruits and lots of sweetness. This delicious dessert is often made at weddings and other small-scale celebrations in Pakistan.
Ingredients
- Parboiled rice (Sela rice) 2 cups
- Sugar 1 cup
- Fruiti-O Orange Nectar 1 cup
- Khoya 200 gms
- Cinnamon 2-3 sticks
- Cloves 4-5 pcs
- Yellow food colouring one pinch
- Dried fruits ½ cup
- Kewra essence a few drops
- Orange (grated peel) as per need
- Ghee ½ cup
Method
- Making sugar syrup and soaking rice : Clean the rice and soak it in water. Pour water into a pan and add sugar to it to make sugar syrup.
- Cooking Rice : Now heat ghee in a pot and roast cinnamon and cloves in it. Then add rice to the mix and keep adding water as per the need until the rice is cooked and water has almost evaporated. Then add the sugar syrup to the rice and half the “khoya” with a few drops of “kewra” essence.
- Drying Rice : Cover it with a lid and leave the rice to dry again. Once the rice is dry, add yellow food colouring and airtight the cauldron. Dish it out after a few minutes and serve it with orange peel and nuts.
