Zarda/Meethe Chawal

Ingredients

• 1 cup (210 g) sela chawal (parboiled rice), picked, washed and soaked for about an hour
• 1 ¼ cup (300 g) sugar
• 4 cups water
• 1 tsp permitted yellow colour, optional
• 2-3 laung (cloves)
• 4 chhoti elaichi (green cardamoms)
• 10-12 raisins (kishmish)
• 5 almonds shredded
• ¼ cup (60 g) ghee (clarified butter)
• Dough to seal and a little fat to grease the lid

Preparation

• Bring the water to a boil and add the drained out rice, yellow colour, laung and elaichi. When it comes to a boil, lower the heat and simmer, till the rice is almost cooked (about 12 minutes).

• Drain the rice and rinse twice, in cold water and leave in a colander to drain.

• In a heavy based pan, heat the ghee and fry the raisins and the almonds and sauté till they change colour a little. Remove the nuts and keep aside and add the rice in the same ghee and mix well.

• Grease the edge of the lid and line a rolled string of dough along it. Grease the dough a little too.

• Lower the heat, remove half the rice and sprinkle half the sugar, and then layer the rest of the rice and the rest of the sugar over it. Put the lid on to seal and place the pan over a griddle (tawa) over low heat for about 1/2 an hour.

• Break the seal and serve garnished with the raisins and the nuts.