Zarda – Pakistani rice pudding

Ingredients for 12 servings:

• 1 cup(s) rice (Basmati or other long grain rice)
• 6 cups water
• ¼ tsp saffron powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 ½ cups water
• ½ cup(s) butter, (or clarified butter)
• 2 cardamom pods, of which only the seeds
• 5 cloves, whole
• n. B. Mace, (nutmeg)
• 1 lemon(s), juice
• ¼ cup raisins, light or dark
• ¼ cup pistachios, halved if desired, unroasted
• ¼ cup almonds, blanched, halved and roasted
• ¼ cup nuts (e.g. cashews, walnuts), roasted
• 1 cup sweet cream, whipped

Instructions

Working time approx. 20 minutes; Rest time approx. 10 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour

also a popular dessert in North India (Punjab state)

Cook the rice with the saffron and salt for about 10 minutes, until it is only half cooked. Drain in a sieve. Bring the sugar to a boil in 3 1/2 cups of water, stirring constantly until it dissolves into a syrup. Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the cardamom seeds and cloves (or mace, if desired) and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Add all but 1/2 cup of the sugar syrup and simmer for another minute. Add the rice and continue cooking, stirring gently, until the syrup and butter are absorbed by the rice grains (about 10 minutes). The butter prevents the rice grains from sticking together. Add the lemon juice, raisins, and nuts (pistachios, almonds, cashews, etc.) and cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Then reduce the heat to low and continue cooking until the rice is tender. If it doesn’t, add the remaining 1/2 cup of syrup and let it absorb into the rice. Remove the pan from the heat and let it stand, covered, for 10 minutes. Serve warm with whipped cream. You can also enrich the dessert with coconut flakes. And you can replace the lemon juice with orange juice (the zest adds further flavor). Oh, and of course, you can also season it with garam masala.