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    Whisk Affair » Recipes » Indian Sweets & desserts » Hyderabadi Zafrani Pulao (Sweet Saffron Pulao)

    Published: Dec 1, 2018 | Last Updated On: Jun 3, 2020 by Neha Mathur

    Hyderabadi Zafrani Pulao (Sweet Saffron Pulao)

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    Zafrani Pulao or Sweet Saffron Pulao is a delicacy made using rice, saffron, sugar and dry fruits and is served especially during festival time. #Indian #Sweet #Dessert #Saffron #Rice #Festival #Homemade #Vegetarian

    Drooling over the pictures? Zafrani Pulao or Sweet Saffron Pulao is a delicacy made using rice, saffron, sugar and dry fruits and is served especially during festival time. Here is how to make it.

    Zafrani Pulao or Sweet Saffron Pulao is a delicacy made using rice, saffron, sugar and dry fruits and is served especially during festival time.

    Sometimes the simplest dishes bring back memories of a grand celebration. Am I right?

    This delicious Zafrani Pulao is one such dish that everyone at home loves to relish, especially during Choti Diwali.

    In fact, this pulao has turned out to be a hot favourite rice dish in our household and one that’s synonymous with celebration.

    An exotic mix of ingredients gives it a royal touch.

    As the name suggests, this pulao boasts of the aromatic and tantalizing flavours of saffron beautifully interwoven into a mouth-watering rice dish.

    It is also a popular dish to make for Eid and I still remember eating it at many of my Muslim friend’s houses.

    Process

    To make this pulao, rice is to be soaked before cooking for about half an hour.

    Then milk, yellow food colouring, saffron, rose water and sugar are mixed together in a bowl and kept aside, the smell of this sensational dish wafting in the air as you go ahead with the rest of the preparation.

    Water is heated in a pan and to this rice is added and cooked till it’s done.

    Some ghee is added to the rice and it’s kept aside.

    In another pan, all the other ingredients like coconut, almond, cashew nuts, chironji and raisins are added and fried until golden brown.

    Then the spices like cardamom, black cardamom and cloves are added and fried.

    Once done, the aromatic milk concoction created earlier is added and brought to a boil.

    Then the rice is added in and mixed and left to cook completely.

    You can fluff the rice a little bit and this Zafrani pulao is to be served hot.

    With gorgeous yellow colour and a lovely mix of flavours and aromas, this is one simple, yet special dish that can be prepared for pretty much any occasion.

    The royal flavours of this dish are going to come through on the very first bite and there is no stopping from there.

    The tinge of sweetness makes this pulao stand out and give it a very unique taste compared to the other pulao recipes.

    Do you have a festive special recipe to share with me?

    Some of the other pulao recipes you could try are Tawa Pulao, Bengali Mishti Pulao, Veg Pulao, Spinach Millet Pulao and a simple One Pot Tomato Chicken Pulao.

    So the next time you’re planning on making something exotic to surprise your guests, give this pulao a try and they are sure to love it, celebrating every bite.

    There is also a very similar dessert made in Hyderabad that’s called Zarda Pulao, which tends to be a little more on the sweeter side. 

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    Step by Step Recipe

    To start with, gently wash the rice in running water and soak in 2-3 cups of water for ½ hour. Now mix milk, yellow food colour, saffron, rose water and sugar in a bowl and keep aside.

    Sugar, saffron, milk, rose water mixed in a bowl.

    Heat 4-5 cups water in a pan and when it comes to a boil, add the soaked rice in the pan.

    water boiling in a pot.

    Cook on low heat till the rice is just done.

    Soaked rice added in boiling water.

    You can check by pressing one grain in between your fingers. The rice should be just done and not mushy.

    cooked rice.

    Strain the rice in a sieve and mix a teaspoon of ghee in it and then keep it aside.

    Strained rice with ghee.

    Heat the remaining ghee in another pan.

    Remaining ghee heating in a pan.

    Once the ghee is hot, add coconut, almonds, cashew nuts, chironji and raisins and fry until they turn slightly brown.

    Dry fruits added in ghee.

    Now add cardamom, black cardamom and cloves and fry for 20 seconds.

    Spices added in the pan.

    Add the milk mixture in the pan and bring it to a boil.

    Milka nd sugar mixture added in the pan.

    Simmer the heat and add the rice and mix gently.

    Rice added in the pan.

    Rice mixed.

    Cover the pan with a lid and cook on low heat for 15-20 minutes.

    Pan covered with a lid.

    Gently fluff the rice with a fork and serve hot.

    Ready zafrani pulao fluffed with a fork.

    Loved this recipe?Click here to leave a review and give us a five star rating ★★★★★
    Zafrani Pulao or Sweet Saffron Pulao is a delicacy made using rice, saffron, sugar and dry fruits and is served especially during festival time.

    Zafrani Pulao Recipe

    It is a delicacy made using rice, saffron, sugar and dry fruits and is served especially during festival time.
    3.67 from 3 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: Indian
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes
    Total Time: 40 minutes
    Servings: 4 people
    Calories: 521kcal
    Author: Neha Mathur

    Ingredients 

    • 1 cup Long Grain Basmati Rice
    • ¼ cup Milk
    • 1 Pinch Yellow food colour
    • 2 Pinch Saffron
    • ½ teaspoon Rose water
    • 1 cup Sugar
    • 2 tablespoon Ghee
    • ¼ cup Grated Dry Coconut
    • 10-12 Almonds (Chopped)
    • 10-12 Cashew Nuts (Chopped)
    • 2 tablespoon Chironji
    • 2 tablespoon Raisins
    • 4-5 Cardamom (Crushed)
    • 2 Black Cardamom (Crushed)
    • 8-10 Cloves
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    Instructions

    • To start with, gently wash the rice in running water and soak in 2-3 cups of water for ½ hour.
    • Now mix milk, yellow food colour, saffron, rose water and sugar in a bowl and keep aside.
    • Heat 4-5 cups water in a pan and when it comes to a boil, add the soaked rice in the pan.
    • Cook on low heat till the rice it is just done.
    • Strain the rice in a sieve and mix a teaspoon of ghee in it and then keep it aside.
    • Heat the remaining ghee in another pan.
    • Once the ghee is hot, add coconut, almonds, cashew nuts, chironji and raisins and fry until they turn slightly browned.
    • Now add cardamom, black cardamom and cloves and fry for 20 seconds.
    • Add the milk mixture in the pan and bring it to a boil.
    • Simmer the heat and add the rice and mix gently.
    • Cover the pan with a lid and cook on low heat for 15-20 minutes.
    • Gently fluff the rice with a fork and serve hot.

    Notes

    Please keep in mind that rice will not cook once sugar is added to it. So cook the rice until it is just done and is not raw.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 521kcal | Carbohydrates: 98g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 14mg | Potassium: 217mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 51g | Vitamin A: 25IU | Vitamin C: 0.8mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 1.4mg
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