ZARDA RECIPES

Steps:

• Soak rice in four cups of water for one hour. Drain.
• Heat two and a half cups of water in a deep pan. Add saffron and bring it to a boil. Add rice and let it come to a boil again.
• Reduce heat and let the rice cook till it is three fourths done. Divide it into three portions. Heat two tablespoons ghee in a pan and sauté cashewnuts and raisins till golden. Set aside.
• Preheat oven to 175°C. Take a glass bowl. Spread a portion of rice. Sprinkle one-third of the sugar, one tablespoon ghee, one-third the grated mawa, one-third the fried nuts and a few drops of rose water.
• Repeat the layers twice. Mix a few drops of rose water in one-fourth cup of milk and sprinkle on the top. Cover the bowl with double layers of aluminium foil.
• Place the bowl in the preheated oven and cook for fifteen to twenty minutes.
• Take it out of the oven and let it stand for some time before removing the foil and serving.

Steps:

• Boil the rice in 5 cups of hot water until nearly done. Strain out the water. In a separate vessel, mix the sugar with 1/2 cup of water and cook till the mixture turns into a syrup of medium constancy. Into this add the cardamom seeds, salt and rice. Cover tight and cook over a slow fire until dry. Remove from fire and divide the rice into seven equal portions. Co lour one portion dark green, the second a light green, the third a dark red, the fourth a pink, the fifth an orange. and the sixth a very light orange. Leave the seventh portion white. After a few minutes mix all the portions together. Mix in the cream, nuts, dates, essence, coconut and raisins. Sprinkle the shahjeera on top and pour 4 tblsps of smoking hot ghee over the whole. Cover diced pineapple, with foil and garnish the zarda with them. Sprinkle rose petals an top and serve at once.