Lucknow/Awadhi Recipes : Zarda

While growing up in Delhi, I had a friend in school from Lucknow. He spoke the most beautiful Hindi and brought the best of the kababs and biryanis in his school lunch box. Along with the kababs he would also bring “Zarda”, the yellow color sweet rice with dry fruits and tutti fruity in it for Holi and for Eid. It used to be a delight digging into that yummy rice.

While I start reading and researching for what to post for the “Lucknow/Awadhi Recipes” this month, Zarda was the first thing in my mind. I knew I had to recreate the magic of my childhood, the aroma and the excitement of opening that “lunch box” and fighting for every bite we could get.

Zarda is essentially a sweet rice which has it’s origins coming from Mughals. There are versions of this available all through the the areas of India which had been touched in some ways from the Mughals. Most of the recipes I read on the net didn’t have tutti fruity in it, however I have gone and added them since the memory of Zarda for me always had them.

Recipe – Zarda

Serves 2

What I used

• 1/2 cup Basmati Rice
• 1/4 cup milk
• Generous strands of saffron
• 2 tbsp of raisins or currants
• 2 tbsp of cashew
• 1/2 tbsp of pistachio flakes
• 1 tsbp tutti fruity
• 1/2 inch cinnamon stick
• 1 cardamom pod
• 1  bay leaf
• 1 tbsp ghee
• Pinch of salt
• 2 tbsp sugar

How I made it

• Wash and soak basamati rice in water for an hour.
• In the broad pan boil, water, 1/4 cup of milk along with saffron, cinnamon stick, cardamom pod and bay leaf and pinch of salt.
• Drain the soaking rice and add to the boiling mixture. Boil till the rice is about 90% done and fluffy. Drain the water and using a fork gently separate the grains
• In a kadhai heat 1 tbsp of ghee and roast all the nuts and currants in it. After the nuts are lightly browned add the tbsp sugar and let it dissolve for a minute
• Add the rice and stir gently. Cook covered for 5 minutes
• Serve hot

This recipe is part of the endeavor to create a collection of recipes of Lucknow/Awadhi Recipes in collaboration with a few bloggers who share the same passion of cooking. All the recipes from #thekitchendivas are pinned on this Pinterest board.

Other Lucknow/Awadhi recipes this week from #thekitchendivas

Sultani Dal from WhiskAffair
Badinjan Burani from Saffron Trail
Matar Ki Kachori from FunFoodFrolic
Vegetarian Shammi Kebab (Chane Ke Kebab) from Archana’s Kitchen