Zarda (Meethe Chawal - Sweet Rice) - Foolproof!

Ingredients

• 1 cup aged long-grain basmati rice
• 2 tbsp ghee (or butter (salted or unsalted))
• 4-5 green cardamom pods (slightly cracked open)
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/3 cup whole milk
• 3/4 cup raw cane sugar (or regular white sugar)
• 1/8 tsp yellow or orange food color
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp orange blossom water or kewra essence (depending on how strong it is - optional)
• Malai (Indian/Pakistani Cream or any thick cream (optional))
• Slivered almonds (to garnish (optional))

Instructions

1. 1

   Wash and soak rice.: Place the rice in a bowl and thoroughly wash until the water runs clear. Soak in water for 30 minutes, then strain.

2. 2

   Boil water in Dutch Oven.: Parboil the rice: Place a medium pot or nonstick Dutch Oven over high heat and bring 5 cups (1.25 quarts) of water to a rolling boil. (Cover the pot with a lid to speed this up.)

3. 3

   Parboil rice.: Add the rice and bring it back up to a boil. Once it comes to a boil again, boil for 6 minutes and 30 seconds (no more than 7 minutes), or until the rice is fully cooked but has a slight bite to it. Instead of breaking into pieces, it should get slightly mushy when pressed between your fingers. (See Note 1) Drain and set aside.

4. 4

   Make sugar syrup.: Heat a medium nonstick Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once hot, heat ghee and add the cardamom pods. Stir for a few seconds to infuse the oil. Then add the sugar, water, food coloring, and salt. Stir and allow the sugar to completely dissolve (1-2 minutes). Add the milk and bring the mixture to a simmer (~1-2 minutes). The thickness of your pot will affect this timing. You’re looking to dissolve the sugar, but not thicken the syrup.

5. 5

   Mix rice with sugar syrup.: Add the rice and use a rice paddle to fold very gently until all the rice is coated evenly in sugar syrup. (Careful here not to break the rice. If you can, lift the pot and swirl around to mix.) Bring to a gentle boil and allow to simmer, undisturbed, for 2 minutes, until the sugar syrup has reduced and the rice is no longer watery (see photo + video). Sprinkle in orange blossom/kewra water, if using.

6. 6

   Steam rice in Dutch Oven.: Layer the lid with a kitchen cloth (or aluminum foil) and seal tightly to contain the steam. At first, keep the pan on medium heat to allow to build steam for 1-2 minutes. You’ll start to feel the steam escaping the sides of the pot. Then turn down to the lowest heat and allow it to cook in its steam (‘dum’) for 10-15 minutes. The liquid should be fully absorbed and the rice fully cooked.

7. 7

   Allow to rest and serve.: Turn off the heat and allow it to rest with the lid on for another 10 minutes. Serve with malai (cream), if desired.