EID REcipi

Zarda is a renowned dessert made especially during Eid and other Muslim festivals and marriages. It is  sweet rice garnished with dry fruits, saffron and khoya.

Ingredients For the Rice
Basmati rice -300 gms
Green cardamoms, crushed-5
Cinnamon-1
Cloves -4
Water-1 ½ litres
Ghee-1 tbsp


To Mix
Sugar free-500 gm
Khoya-100 gm
Beaten curd-100 gm
Saffron -½ gm
Kewra water-2 tbsp
Metha ittar-a drop

For the Garnish
Almond-25 gm
Khoya, grated-15 gm
Pista-10 gm
Sliver leaf-1

Method
To prepare rice
• Wash and soaked rice, drain and keep aside.
• Bring water to a boil, add green cardamoms, cloves, cinnamon and ghee.
• Add the drained rice in this water. Half cook the rice upto 50%.
• Remove all the whole spices, drain the rice and keep it aside.

To assemble the Zarda
• Dry roast saffron and ground it nicely, heat ghee.
• Mix  curd, khoya, saffron ghee, and kewra and metha ittar in a bowl.
• Now, mix the cooked rice with the khoya thoroughly.
• Cover it with a lid and seal with flour dough.
• Cook on a slow flame with burning charcoal on the top of the lid for ½ hour.

To finish Zarda
• Served hot garnished with grated khoya, slivers of pista and almonds and sliver leaf.

Note: Curd is used in the recipe because it helps prevent the rice from getting overcooked.