Zarda in Instant Pot (Meethe Chawal)

Zarda or zarda pulao is a traditional sweet rice dish served all over the indian subcontinent during weddings, festivals or special occasions.

Also known as meethe chawal, the main ingredients in zarda recipe are basmati rice & sugar. A variety of nuts, raisins and aromatic spices like green cardamom, saffron, cloves, and cinnamon are incorporated to impart a festive essence to this sweet pulao.

Every New Year's Day,my grandmother used to make zarda. I vividly remember the captivating aroma of elaichi (green cardamom) that filled the air of the house, and her hands would bear the marks of yellow food coloring. Her zarda turned out perfect, but I also recall that she toiled over it for hours.

I wanted a quicker method. After a lot of trials, I finally figured out how to make zarda in instant pot. We are not going to compromise on the taste or texture of rice, but the traditional methods of zarda (while still great!) can be replaced with an Instant pot or pressure cooker.

In this post, I am teaching my one pot method with khila khila (fluffly) rice cooked to perfection that does not become hard once the zarda cools down!

You need about 30 minutes for making this zarda recipe using instant pot (minus the rice soaking time). If you do not have instant pot, then use pressure cooker (instructions included).

What is Zarda

Zarda is a traditional sweet rice dessert originating from persian and mughlai cuisine. Zarda gets its name from the root word "zard", which in persian language refers to yellow color. It is a ppular dish in north indian and pakistani cuisine.

It is a dish with a visual appeal, with a distinctive yellow or orange (kesar) hue that is achieved through the use of food coloring, saffron threads, or the warm golden tones of turmeric powder(you wont taste it).

In Pakistani cuisine, zarda is a popular dessert made for eid celebrations. In north india, zarda is also referred to as meethe chawal or kesari meethe chawal. Meetha or meethe means sweet and chawal is rice.

You need very basic ingredients that can be found be most south asian homes for making zarda. The preparation involves cooking fragrant basmati rice with sugar and ghee for a rich flavor. Though, its optional to use nuts and dried fruits, they do add a textural contrast to the soft sweet rice and make the dish feel "dessert like".

Why Use Instant Pot

• One Pot Recipe - As someone who witnessed multiple pots and pan(even muslin cloth)being used for making zarda, I cannot tell you how convenient this instant pot zarda recipe is. You fry the spices and nuts in ghee, add the rice, saffron milk & water, and then pressure cook- all in the same pot. Easy recipe & delicious sweet rice ready in minutes and just one pot to clean!
• No need to make Chashni - One of the most finicky things about indian desserts is the chashni or sugar syrup & its consistency. If I can avoid preparing chashni by any means, I will do it. Instant pot eliminates the need since we are going to add sugar as it is!
• Hands Free Cooking - Once we add all the ingredients to instant pot, there is no hassel of peeking to check on rice or boiling over or pot bottom getting scalded. It is such a tension free method!
• Reduced Cooking Time - Pressure cooking in instant pot really brings down the time of cooking zarda to about 30 minutes. This is a definite win over the traditional method.
• Keep Warm Fuction - I really love this fuction of IP. Instant Pot keep warm fuction is so useful especaillu when you are serving zarda in a party.

Which Rice To Use

It is recommended to use aged, long grain basmati rice. Or extra long grain basmati rice. Personally, for fine dishes like biryani or zarda, I like using sella rice (parboiled basmati rice) is a great choice. There are many brands to choose from and I recommend royal sella basmati rice (non affiliate). Once you purchase the rice bag,it lasts for months and you could use it to make variety of biryani or pulao (such as yakhni pulao).

I do not like to take a chance with mushy or broken rice , so I use sela basmati rice. In my opinion, it is hard to mess up the texture with sela rice. Although some argue that sela basmati might not yield a soft rice texture, I find that soaking the rice adequately eliminates any chance for chewiness and gives best results.

Ideal Texture of Zarda

After cooking, you would your rice to be soft and fluffy with no mushy or broken rice grains. The grains of rice will have a sheen from ghee. The cooked rice grains should (ideally) not stick to each other. The nuts will look soft and the raisins will have a plump look.

Ingredients

• Basmati Rice - Please see my notes in the previous section.
• Granulated Sugar
• Coconut- My grandmother used dried sliced coconut (gola) which is quite a pain to slice. I tried pre sliced from indian store and it had bad smell. I use fresh sliced coconut now.
• Nuts & Dried Fruit - Any nuts you like.  I use almonds, cashew nuts, pistachios, raisins and charoli.
• Ghee - A must for a rich nutty aroma. Or use unsalted butter or clarified butter. Dont use oil.
• Whole Spices - Gather all the warm, sweet smelling spices in your kitchen. I use green cardamom, cloves and cinnamon. You could use orange zest too.
• Aromatics - I use saffron strands soaked in warm milk. I also add some kewda water. You could use orange zest or rose water too.
• Orange or Egg Yellow Food Color (Powder)- I feel that food color is not optional when it comes to zarda. If you wont use, your zarda would look dull. I like using bright yellow color when making zarda.

Meethe Chawal Recipe Steps

Soak The Rice

1. Wash the basmati rice under running water 3-4 times or until the water runs clear.
2. Soak sella basmati rice in excess water for 30-35 minutes. For sela basmati rice you need a longer soaking time so that the rice turns out soft. If you are using long grain basmati rice, soak for 20-25 minutes.

Cook Zarda in Instant Pot

3. Press saute on "LOW" setting on Instant Pot (3 qt). Add the ghee and let melt.
4. Add all the whole spices, coconut & nuts to warm ghee. Fry for 10-15 seconds or till you see that the raisins are starting to plump up.

3. Add the soaked and drained rice. Very gently, using a soft spatula or wooden spoon, stir the rice 1-2 times only to mix with the nuts and get coated in ghee. Don't over mix else the rice grains will start breaking.
4. Next, add the sugar, water, saffron soaked in milk, yellow food colouring and salt. Give a gentle stir. Close the lid of instant pot.

3. Press pressure cook (HIGH setting) button on IP and set timer to 7 minutes. Let pressure cook with vent in seal poistion.
4. Once the instant pot beeps, allow natural pressure relase.
5. Open the lid, the rice would be very hot. Let the steam escape for 1-2 minutes. Then gently fluff the rice from one side using a fork, a soft spatula or a small saucer.

Cooking in Pressure Cooker

To cook this zarda recipe in pressure cooker, follow the same steps as mentioned above.Keep a low flame while frying nuts and spices.

Increase the water quantity to 1 + ¼ cup water. Close the lid of the pressure cooker , and cook over high flame for 1 whistles. Then lower the flame and allow it to cook on very low heat for 7-8 minutes, making sure that the valve of the pressure cooker doesn't whistle. Let pressure release naturally for 10-12 minutes. Open the lid and then fluff the rice.

Serving Zarda

Zarda is best enjoyed when served warm. You could add few silvered nuts like almonds or pistachios on top. Some people also like to add tutti fruitti (dried colorful fruits)

If you wish, you could serve it with a dollop of rabdi or whipped cream. For and extra layer or creamy richnes, you could add crumbled khoya or mawa on top.

Recipe Tips

• Use of good quality ingredients (rice, nuts & spices) in this recipe contributes to superlative taste and texture.
• Instead of ghee, use coconut oil to make vegan zarda.
• Soak the rice for at least 20-30 minutes for a softer rice after cooking.
• Don't skimp on ghee or sugar. This is a sweet dish that tastes best when its rich and on a sweeter side.
• Don't fluff very hot rice, it will break. I usually allow the pressure to naturally release for 10-15 minutes. This helps in firming the rice grains as well as in better absorption of flavors.
• Different varieties of saffron have different sharpness and strength. Adjust the quantity depending on the brand you are using.