Wedding dessert · Sweet rice

Zarda Recipe (Pakistani Sweet Saffron Rice)

Par-boil. Sugar layer. Dum.

Farwa ZeeshanRecipe by Farwa ZeeshanTested in the NineFoods home kitchen

Zarda is fragrant sweet rice coloured yellow and orange, studded with nuts and dried fruit. It turns mushy or sticky when the rice is fully cooked before the sugar goes in. The fix is boiling the rice to 70 percent, then letting it finish on dum in the melted sugar.

Prep15m
Cook35m
Servings6
kcal / serving420
LevelMedium
Jump to the method

The 3 laws of zarda

Why this recipe works

70 percent rice

Fully cooked

Rice finishes in the sugar.

Layer sugar

Stir sugar

Layering keeps grains whole.

Dum

High heat

Slow steam melts sugar evenly.

Shopping and prep list

Ingredients

Servings
Tap items as you gather them · 0 of 0 ready

Rice

Sweet layer

The NineFoods rice gauge

Is the rice ready to drain?

Press a grain between your fingers.

Tap a stage to see what to do.

Method · 4 stages

Step by step

1

Boil rice

High · 7 min
  1. Boil rice with colour, cardamom and cloves.
  2. Use the gauge above and drain.
Look for: 70 percent cooked yellow rice.
07:00
2

Ghee

Low · 2 min
  1. Warm ghee in a heavy pot, fry nuts and raisins briefly.
Look for: fragrant ghee.
02:00
3

Layer

No heat · 3 min
  1. Layer rice and sugar in the pot.
  2. Top with saffron milk, nuts and khoya.
Look for: even layers.
03:00
4

Dum

Lowest, covered · 20 min
  1. Cover tightly and cook on the lowest heat.
  2. Mix gently with a fork when the sugar has melted.
Look for: separate, glossy sweet grains.
20:00

Chef's troubleshooter

What went wrong? Pick the symptom

Why

Rice overcooked.

Fix next time

Boil only to 70 percent.

Why

Too much sugar or stirring.

Fix next time

Mix gently with a fork and reduce sugar.

Why

Heat too low or lid loose.

Fix next time

Seal the lid and dum 5 more minutes.

Why

Heat too high.

Fix next time

Use a tawa under the pot.

Swap smart

Ingredient roles and substitutes

IngredientJob in the dishSwap with
BasmatiLong grainsSella basmati
GheeAromaButter
Food colourLookExtra saffron
KhoyaRichnessSkip it

After the meal

Serve, store, reheat

Serve with

On its own, or with korma at a dawat.

Store

Fridge 5 days.

Reheat

Sprinkle water and steam on low.

How we tested this recipe

Tested in a home kitchen, not a studio

Farwa Zeeshan

Recipe developed and tested by Farwa Zeeshan, who cooks and tests every NineFoods recipe on a regular home stove.

  • Cooked from start to finish with the exact quantities above for 6 servings, using both the metric and US cup measures.
  • Every one of the 4 stages was timed at the stove; heat levels and the 'look for' cues are what we saw in the pan.
  • The doneness check (is the rice ready to drain) and the troubleshooter come from batches that went wrong, and how we fixed them.
  • Reheating and storage advice was checked on leftovers, not guessed.

Read our full testing process

Keep cooking

Related recipes and guides

All dessert recipesSugar Syrup Stages for MithaiHow to Make KhoyaHow to Make Ghee at Home

Quick answers

Zarda FAQ

What is zarda?

A Pakistani sweet rice cooked with sugar, saffron, nuts and dried fruit.

How do I keep zarda grains separate?

Boil the rice only to 70 percent and finish on dum.

What is the difference between zarda and mutanjan?

Mutanjan is richer and multicoloured, often with khoya and sometimes meat.

Can I reduce the sugar?

Yes, use 1 cup sugar for 2 cups rice.