Pineapple Zarda Recipe | Sweetened Rice | Meethe Chawal | Zarda Pulao| Shaadi ke chawal with detailed instructions and pictorial recipe
What is Pineapple Zarda Recipe | Sweetened Rice
Pineapple Zarda recipe | Sweetened Rice is a delicious dessert, made using pineapple. It’s also known as zafrani Pulao, zarda pulao, sweetened rice, meetha pulao or Meethe Chawal. This is vegan and gluten free too.
For making zarda recipe, Pineapple flavour is very popular. It’s a very delicious rice based dessert. It’s also known as pineapple Zarda, shaadi ke chawal or meethe chawal.
According to the Wikipedia, the name Zarda is derived from word Zard, which in Persian language denotes colour “yellow”. It is believed that the roots of this dish originated from Pakistan and India.
Zarda/Sweet rice or Meethe Chawal is made in yellow colour by flavouring it with Saffron, which lends a beautiful yellow colour to Rice.
What is Pineapple Zarda Recipe | Sweetened Rice
Zarda is quite well known dish among Muslims. It’s a delicious combination of fruit and rice. This is really easy to make.
It is a traditional dish prepared during weddings and festivals as a part of ritual.
You may check my various rice recipes on the blog –
Biryani stuffed jacket potatoes
Main Ingredient used to make Pineapple Zarda Recipe | Sweetened Rice
The main ingredients for this recipe is Fresh or canned Pineapple, and a good quality rice.
Many recipes for making Zarda call for adding Khoya/Mawa, but i haven’t added as I have seen my elders making Zarda without it.
Pineapple Zarda is my favourite dish. My Mom used to make Pineapple Zarda/Meethe Chawal on many special occasions with saffron and coconut flavours.
I prepared this dish on the occasion of our 25th Wedding Anniversary, and it turned out awesome.
I wasn’t sure at first but when my family appreciated it and asked for more, It made me happy that the recipe passed the litmus test and was ready to go on the blog.
My another rice based beautiful dessert recipe Rice kheer fruit sushi rolls is quite unique in taste. Please give it a try.
So, the recipe of Pineapple zarda | Sweetened rice is here for you. Make this at home following my easy recipe.
Recipe card :
- 1 cup rice, basmati
- 1.25 cups Pineapple juice
- 1 bowl Pineapple cut into chunks
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 spoons oil
- 2 sticks of cinnamon,
- 4 green cardamom
- 3-4 cloves
- 1 cup water
- Saffron strands few
- Water 2 spoons to soak saffron
- 2 drops of organic yellow food color (completely optional)
- 2 drops of kevada water
- Few drops of lemon juice
- pinch of saffron
- Pistachios, cashews, raisins & almonds handful
- Add saffron in warm water. Set aside.
- Mix 1 cup of water with 1 cup of pineapple juice.
- Mix yellow food color and bring it to boil.
- Add soaked rice to this and sprinkle few drops of lemon ,and cook until rice is 90% done. This would make rice grains separated/ khila khila for zarda.
- Drain the rice and spread in a wide plate/ thali, so that rice does not stick to each other.
- In a separate pan, put oil. Put all the dry fruits. Fry and keep them aside.
- Next add cinnamon, cardamom and cloves. Saute it.
- Mix in remaining Pineapple juice & sugar. Add a cup of pineapple chunks. Cook till pineapple softens.
- Now add drained rice to this, sprinkle saffron milk & kevada water and mix well on low heat.
- Cover with aluminium foil and cook it on dum, till it is cooked and grains of rice are khila hua.
- Once liquid is dried, turn off stove. Remove the foil.
- Garnish with dry fruits. Serve hot with chunks of pineapple.
2. To soak saffron in milk use vegan friendly milk like coconut or almond milk.
3. Using food colour in this recipe is completely optional.
Steps to make Pineapple Zarda Recipe | Sweetened Rice
Add saffron in warm water. Set aside.
Mix 1 cup of water with 1 cup of pineapple juice. Mix yellow food color and bring it to boil.
Add soaked rice to this and sprinkle few drops of lemon, and cook until rice is 90% done. This would make rice grains separated/ khila khila for zarda.
Drain the rice and spread in a thali/wide plate, so that rice does not stick to each other.
In a separate pan, put oil. Put all the dry fruits. Fry and keep them aside.
Next add cinnamon, cardamom and cloves. Saute it.
Mix in remaining Pineapple juice & sugar. Add a cup of pineapple chunks. Cook till pineapple softens.
Now add drained rice to this, sprinkle saffron milk & kevada water and mix well on low heat.
Cover with aluminium foil and cook it on slow flame, till it is cooked and grains of rice are cooked/ khila hua.
Once liquid is dried, turn off stove. Remove the foil.
Garnish with dry fruits. Serve hot with chunks of pineapple.
Notes :
1. You may use clarified butter/pure ghee instead of oil but then it wouldn’t be vegan.
2. To soak saffron in milk use vegan friendly milk like coconut or almond milk.
3. Using food colour in this recipe is completely optional.
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I will see you soon with yet another interesting recipe. Come right back a I love to have you around.
Happy Cooking
Regards❤️
Lata
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My husband and kids would absolutely love this! What beautiful flavors and looks so elegant as well. I love the idea of usingf pineapple juice for flavor.
I am sure Sandhya your folks would relish it. Pineapple certainly elevates the flavour of Zarda.
Thank you for writing in.
This looks so good. I love Zarda and Pineapple is one of my favorite fruits so I will definitely love this recipe. Will try it soon, thanks for sharing.
Thank you Vandana for stopping by.
Lata, I’ve always presumed that meetha rice or Zarda rice would be served as a main dish with a curry so that always prevents me from making it. Now that you’ve mentioned that its a dessert, I’m going to give this recipe a try. Looks so beautiful.
Thank you Mayuri.
Lata,
I love this rice lata. In Maharashtra we make a similarly spiced sweet rice called narali bhat with coconut. I like the pineapple flavor and will surely make it.
Yes i know about narali bhaat, as i stay in Mumbai and love this dish. Please do try and i am sure you will love pineapple flavour.
Thank you Sandhya.
The pineapple flavour must have really blended well to give a unique taste. Loved the idea of using pineapple here, must give this a try sometime.
Thank you Jayashree.
What a unique combo of sweet & tangy ingredients. Have made zarda number of times but never thought of adding a fruit to it. Beautiful.
Thank you Shailender.
Pineapple is one of my top favourite fruits….Zarda rice with fruit sounds interesting!! Pineapple lends a wonderful flavour to the rice and I bet it must have tasted out of the world
Yes Padma it tasted wonderful. Pineapple is my favourite fruit too.
Thank you so much for stopping by.
Such a bowl of beautiful colour rice, the addition of pineapple makes this rice exotic and flavourful. Such a lovely presentation.
Thank you Jagruti. Pineapple takes the flavour of Zarda a notch higher.
That zarda looks amazing, can imagine the flavors of this delish rice, the aroma of pineapple must be scintillating! A perfect recipe for celebrations!!!! i m definitely going to try this soon!
The pineapple flavour shines through in this Zarda recipe Priya. Thank you and i am glad that you liked the recipe.
I love cooking with fruits and this zarda rice looks delicious and easy to make.
It indeed is Lathiya. Thank you.
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