Zarda

Ingredients

• 250 grams rice
• 250 grams sugar
• 10 almonds, 10 cashewnuts and raisins
• 1/4 cup ghee
• 3 green cardamom, 4 cloves
• 4-5 deseeded canned cherries for garnishing 2 – 3 tbps of orange zests
• 1/2 tsp saffron soaked in water or milk
• rose or saffron essence
• 1 sheet of edible silver foil

Method

• Take 250 grms of rice mix with saffron water and keep aside.
• Boil water, add the rice and saffron water to get the golden yellow colour, add 2 tsps of orange zests to the water, and 2-3 tsps of ghee and cook on high flame for 15 mins and bring to boil. Cook till rice is cooked and drain the water from the rice in a strainer. Transfer the rice to a vessel and keep aside.
• Add the sugar to the rice and mix well.
• Take a pan, put on heat and add 2-3 tsps of ghee and add the cardamom, cloves, almonds, cashewnuts and raisins and roast it till golden, add the sugar - rice mixture, the rose essence and the remaining orange zests and mix well and cook on low heat till all moisture evaporates.
• Garnish with cherries and sliver foil while plating.