Preparation time : 50 mins | Serves 8 persons
This is the popular sweet brown rice recipe which is generally known as Zarda in South Asian cuisine. It is prepared on many traditional occassions and use of attractive food colors makes it looks very delightful and attractive. The main ingredient of this recipe is brown rice which is very healthy for everyone. Use of other kind of rice will not produce good result as other rice become soggy/very soft when used for making zarda.
1 kg Brown rice
1.25 kg sugar
250 gm Ghee
3-4 cloves
5 green cardamoms
3-4 cinnamon sticks
1/2 kg boiled milk
pistachio for garnishing
almond for garnishing
raisins for garnishing
orange food color
Procedure:
1. Boil water to cook brown rice and add orange food color in the water. Put rice in the and let it cook for 5-8 mins when rice boil drain all the extra water.
2. In a pan, put ghee and fry cloves, cardamom and cinnamon, when they turn brown and smell starts to come add sugar and milk. Always put sugar first otherwise by putting milk in heated oil/ghee it will beocme danger for you to handle because drops of milk quickly scattered and may damage your face.
3. Now make syrup of milk and sugar by constant stirring otherwise sugar will stick in the pan.
4. When all the sugar has been dissolved and white foams appear on the surface of the syrup (it will take at least 15 mins.) add boiled rice in it and mix well.
5. Cook on medium flame until all the liquid dry and rice absorb all the syrup.
Serving:
Serve the delicious sweet brown rice / zarda by garnishing crushed pistachio, almonds and raisons on top. Small pieces of gulab jamun also serve with it.
Note:
You can alos use original saffron in this recipe instead of food color and if you sprinkle some Khoya on the top it will become more delicious.
