ZARDA PULAO

Preparation of ZARDA PULAO: 

         Its sounds something like main course recipe.

But it is a dessert.When I heard about it first time,even I reacted the same It is a dish that my mother in law used to prepare.Really it is delightful and tasty.It is very rich in taste.So, you can't have a lot of it.But still try it in moghlai cuisine.

Ingredients:

• Basmati rice, soaked - 2 cups
• Sugar - 1/2 cup
• Saffron (kesar) - a generous pinch
• Lemon juice - 1 tablespoon
• Ghee - 1/4 cup
• Cloves - 3-4
• Cinnamon - 1 inch stick
• Green cardamoms - 3
• Raisins - 1 tablespoon
• Almonds, chopped -  5-6
• Cashew-nuts, chopped - 5

Method:

• Soak rice in four cups of water for one hour. Drain.
• Heat two and a half cups of water in a deep pan. 
• Add saffron and bring it to a boil. 
• Add rice and let it come to a boil again.
• Reduce heat and let the rice cook till it is three fourths done.
• Divide it into three portions. 
• Heat two tablespoons ghee in a pan and saute cashew-nuts and raisins till golden.
• Set aside.
• Preheat oven to 175°C.Take a glass bowl.
• Spread a portion of rice.
• Sprinkle one-third of the sugar, one tablespoon ghee, one-third the grated mawa, one-third the fried nuts and a few drops of rose water. 
• Repeat the layers twice. 
• Mix a few drops of rose water in one-fourth cup of milk and sprinkle on the top.
• Cover the bowl with double layers of aluminium foil. 
• Place the bowl in the preheated oven and cook for fifteen to twenty minutes. 
• Take it out of the oven and let it stand for some time before removing the foil and serving.

Note :

• You can also cook it under dum. For this arrange the layers in a thick bottomed pan,
•  She use orange juice also.That makes the recipe more tasty. Add it if available.