Zarda Recipe (Traditional Indian Sweet Saffron Rice)

Zarda (Meethe Chawal, Zafrani Pulao) is a traditional South Asian sweet rice dish made with fragrant rice, sugar, ghee, nuts, and warm spices. Popular across Pakistan and North India, this vibrant dessert is especially prepared for weddings, Ramadan iftar meals, Eid, Holi, Diwali, and special occasions.

My one-pot Zarda recipe is unique because everything is cooked in a single vessel, either an Instant Pot or a traditional pressure cooker, with ingredients added one by one, and there are no pre-cooking or soaking hassles.

If you’re looking for an easy Zarda recipe that never fails, this is the one to bookmark.

Zarda (also called Meethe Chawal, meaning “sweet rice”) comes from the Persian word “zard,” meaning yellow, referring to its signature golden color from saffron (Crocus sativus)

Zarda is a very popular dish in Mathur cuisine, as our cuisine is heavily influenced by Muslim cooking.

When growing up, it was made at home for festivals like Holi and Diwali. My mom made an extravagant meal of Old Delhi Style Mughlai Mutton Stew, Chicken Biryani, and Zarda every Holi. I also remember eating it for Eid dawat at my friend’s place. They served it with Sheer Khurma for an unforgettable dessert experience. In my In-laws’ home, they called it meethe chawal.

This sweet rice dish was our favorite, but I remember my mom dreading making it (even after making it year after year), as the process was very tricky. The rice must be cooked to a certain point. If it was overcooked, the zarda turned mushy, and if undercooked, there was a bite in the rice grain, which was a big no-no.

So, to overcome all this hassle, I came up with a one-pot zarda recipe where you literally dump everything one after the other, and it tastes exactly the same and never fails. You can make it in a traditional pressure cooker or an Instant Pot. Do give it a try!

Common Mistakes To Avoid when Making Zarda Pulao

With the new technique I shared in the post, there’s a minimal chance of messing up this dish, but I am still sharing some pointers to keep in mind.

How To Make Zarda

Make Zarda Pulao In A Pressure Cooker

Step 1: Rinse 1 cup of aged long-grain basmati rice in water, then soak it for 30 minutes.

Step 2: Heat 2 tablespoon ghee in a pressure cooker over medium heat.

Step 3: When the ghee is hot, add 10-12 almonds (crushed), 10-12 cashews (crushed), and 2 tablespoon chironji, and fry until they turn light golden brown.

Step 4: Add 2 tablespoon raisins and fry until they plump up.

Step 5: Add 4-5 green cardamoms (crushed), 2 black cardamoms (crushed), and 8-10 cloves (crushed), and fry for 2-3 seconds.

Step 6: Drain the rice and add it to the cooker. Sauté for 20-30 seconds.

Step 7: Now add 1 cup milk, 1 cup water, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, 2 pinches saffron strands, ½ teaspoon rose water, and 1 cup of granulated white sugar, and mix well.

Step 8: Close the cooker lid.

Step 9: Increase the heat to high. Cook for 3 whistles on high heat. Then switch off the heat.

Step 10: Let the pressure release naturally. Then open the lid.

Step 11: Fluff the zarda using a fork. Serve hot.

Make Zarda Pulao In An Instant Pot

• Press the SAUTE button of the Instant Pot.
• Add ghee and then follow the recipe until the rice is added to the pot.
• Now add 1 cup milk, ¼ cup water, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, 2 pinches saffron strands, and 1 cup sugar, and mix well.
• Close the lid of the Instant Pot.
• Press the PRESSURE COOK button and set the timer to 6 minutes.
• The Instant Pot will take some time to build pressure and start the timer.
• Once the timer goes off, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes.
• Release the remaining pressure manually and open thelid.
• Fluff the rice with a fork and serve hot.

Variations

You can add some tutti frutti to this recipe. Add them along with rice.

Some people also add green and red food colour to their sweet pulao. However, I like it yellow and stick to using saffron only.

You can top it with crumbled khoya to make it even richer.

Storage Suggestions

Leftover sweet rice can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat it in a pan or in the microwave until hot, then serve.

I do not recommend freezing zarda as its texture might change when thawed.