ZARDA (Sweet dish made with rice)

Zarda is a very popular and delicious dessert made using rice. It is a must have during family gatherings and special occasions because of its taste and also because it is very easy to make. I have given below my mother's zarda recipe. It is one of those recipes in which you can never go wrong...

Ingredients

1 cup Basmati rice

1 cup sugar

seeds of 1 cardamom

2 tbsp oil

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

a handful of cashew nuts and raisins

Method

Wash and soak Basmati rice in water for 1 hour. Then heat oil in a pan, add cardamom seeds, cashew nuts and raisins and saute for sometime. Then add turmeric powder and 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Now add the drained rice and cook till the rice is done.(Cook in a low flame till all the water has evaporated). Switch off the gas and set aside. Then to prepare the sheera, heat another pan, add 1cup water and sugar and cook till it reaches a single thread consistency. (For this you can take a drop of sheera and place between your thumb and index finger and pull the index finger apart, if it looks like a thin thread then the sheera is ready. Another method is to take the sheera and drop it in a cup of water. It should not dissolve or break. It should remain intact). Switch off the gas, add the sheera to the rice and mix well. Close a lid and allow it to cool. Set aside for about half an hour for the rice to completely soak the sheera. It tastes great when served chilled.