See recipe Sweet Rice sweet rice recipe | meethe chawal | Indian sweet rice | zarda pulao | with 27 amazing images.

sweet rice recipe | meethe chawal | Indian sweet rice | zarda pulao is an Indian sweet recipe is a sweet version of pulao with some basic spice and condiments along with sugar. Learn how to make zarda pulao.

To make sweet rice, combine the rice and sugar in a bowl, mix well and keep aside. Heat the ghee in a broad non-stick pan, add the cinnamon, cloves and bay leaves and sauté on a medium flame for 30 seconds. Add the rice-sugar mixture and mix well. Combine the saffron-milk mixture and saffron colour (optional) in a small bowl and mix well. Add this saffron mixture to the rice, mix well and cook on a slow flame for 4 to 5 minutes or till the sugar melts completely, while stirring occasionally. Serve the sweet rice hot garnished with almond and pistachio slivers.

Try this simple version of the popular zarda pulao. With the addition of saffron, cinnamon, cloves and bay leaves, a sweet, spicy aroma fills the whole house kindling everybody’s appetite!

This Indian sweet rice is made on auspicious occasions like vasant Panchami and also cooked as a first dish during house-warming in India. The quintessence of this recipe is perfectly cooked rice with each grain separate like we make for pulao. Learn how to make cooked rice.

You do not need to prepare any syrup for this meetha chawal, as the rice and sugar are cooked together. The flavour and the aroma of this duo is just irresistible! If you like desserts made with rice, then do try recipes from different regions of India like South Indian Paal Payasam, Bengali Payesh, Punjabi Phirni.

Paal Payasam, South Indian Rice Kheer

Tips for sweet rice. 1. A good quality saffron is required to get the rich hue and aroma of this rice. 2. If you wish you can add a little edible yellow colour to get the perfect yellow coloured rice. 3. After you have cooked the rice, ensure you cool it well by spreading in a flat plate so each grain remains separate.

Is Sweet Rice healthy?

No, this is not healthy. Let's see why.

Let's understand the Ingredients.

What's good.

Ghee : Other than calories and fats, the only nutrients that ghee is rich in are the vitamins – all of which are fat-soluble. All the 3 vitamins (Vitamin A, Vitamin E and Vitamin K) are antioxidants which have a role in removing free radicals from the body and protecting our cell as well as help in maintaining skin health and glow. Ghee is an excellent, high-quality selection medium of cooking because of its high smoke point. As compared to most oils and butter, ghee can handle a smoke point of 230°C, 450°F, thus its less prone to oxidant and destruction of nutrients. Yes, ghee does contain cholesterol, but some amount of cholesterol is needed by the body. Cholesterol has some functions to play too. It is necessary for hormone production, brain function, cell health and lubricating the joints. It is, in reality, a high quality fat for the body and brain. Ghee is loaded with fats but that’s medium chain fatty acids (MCT) which aid in weight loss. Ghee is healthy for daibetics in small amounts. Learn to easily make your ghee at home which is free of preservatives. See benefits of ghee. 

Benefits of Cinnamon, dalchini, cinnamon powder : Cinnamon with its antioxidant power has the ability to reduce inflammation in the body and thus reduce the risk of various chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes, cancer etc. Cinnamon since ages has been known to be beneficial for diabetics. Diabetes is a disease which occurs due to insulin resistance. Intake of cinnamon is said to reduce this resistance and instead improve insulin sensitivity in cells thereby helping to maintain normal blood sugar levels. cinnamon helps to reduce the blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels and thus prevents clot formation. See detailed benefits of cinnamon.

Benefits of Cloves : Cloves are the immature unopened flower buds of a tropical tree. The four-pointed flower bud with a tapered stem measures 12-16 mm, and looks like a small nail.  Indians have long used cloves to treat indigestion, diarrhoea, hernia, and ringworm, as well as athlete's foot and other fungal infections. India's traditional Ayurvedic healers have used cloves since ancient times to treat respiratory and digestive ailments and its oil for toothache. It has powerful antiseptic and mild anaesthetic actions. When boiled with water and gargled, cloves are a good antibacterial mouthwash, which can help to combat bad breath and relieve a sore throat. Cloves are said to restore the appetite, and hence recommended for people with digestive disorders. Cloves are effective at clearing up a number of skin disorders such as acne, sores or ulcers. It has antioxidant properties, owing to the compound eugenol in it. Eating cloves is said to be aphrodisiac.

Benefits of Bayleaf (Tejpatta) : The properties of bayleaves make it useful for treating high blood sugar, migraine headaches, bacterial and fungal infections, and gastric ulcers.  Bay leaves and berries have been used for their astringent, carminative, diaphoretic, digestive, diuretic, emetic and stomachic properties.  Bayleaf contains eugenol, which has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Bay leaf is also antifungal and antibacterial. Traditionally, it has been used to treat rheumatism, amenorrhea, and colic pains.

Saffron (Kesar) : Saffron is widely used in Ayurvedic remedies for a range of conditions from arthritis and asthma to infertility and impotence. Saffron has a reputation for strengthening the stomach and promoting its functioning.

Milk and Low Fat Milk : 1 cup of milk provides 70% of the Recommended Daily Allowance of Calcium. Milk promotes strong bones. The Calcium in Milk helps to protect your teeth against gum disease and keeps your jaw bone strong and healthy. Milk is low in carbs and therefore does not raise blood glucose levels. However diabetics must consider including low fat milk as advised by their dietitian only so as to avoid any fluctuations in blood sugar levels. Protein is another key nutrient which milk is rich in - 8.6 g from a cup. So all those looking to build protein stores can add milk and its products like curd and paneer to their diet. One cup of Milk gives 10 grams of carbs.  Low fat milk has lower fat and the same benefits of milk.

What's the problem?

Rice : Here are the pros for rice. Rice is a great source of complex carbohydrates, which is an important source of energy for our body. Rice is low in fibre and therefore a good option for people suffering from diarrhoea. What's not good in rice. Foods like rice are high in Glycemic index are not suitable for weight loss, heart patients,  diabetics as they affect the blood sugar control levels. See details of is white rice and parboiled rice good for you?

Sugar : Sugar used in the recipe is also called white poison. It is a simple carbohydrate with zero nutritional value. On intake, sugar will cause inflammation of the body which will last for many hours. It will spike your blood sugar level and shut down the fat burning process. This also causes high blood sugar levels in your body. The development of prediabetes comes from uncontrolled eating sugar and refined food products for many years and the classic symptom is if you have excess belly fat. This leads to diabetes and further onwards to heart attack, high blood pressure, strokes, impotence and kidney damage. 

Note : 1 cup = 200 ml (standard cup available in the market). The weight in grams varies for each ingredient.

Can diabetics, heart patients and overweight individuals have Sweet Rice?

No, this recipe is not good for diabetics, heart and weight loss.  Foods like rice are high in Glycemic index are not suitable for weight loss, heart patients,  diabetics as they affect the blood sugar control levels.

Can healthy individuals have Sweet Rice?

No. Sugar used in the recipe is also called white poison. It is a simple carbohydrate with zero nutritional value. On intake, sugar will cause inflammation of the body which will last for many hours.

What is a healthier option than using rice? 

We suggest the following healthy khichdi like fada ni khichdi recipe, vitamin khichdi recipe, buckwheat moong dal and vegetable khichdi, bajra moong and green peas khichdi, barley khichdi and vegetable biryani from brown rice. Most of these recipes have ZERO usage of rice and portion control is suggested for diabetics.

Vitamin Khichdi (Protein Rich Recipe)

8 Pointers to get healthy on a Indian diet

1. Eat healthy and say yes to good home cooked food. Prefer whole grains like oatmeal, quinoa, buckwheat, barley and healthy flours like bajra flour, jowar flour, quinoa flour, wheat flour etc. rather than refined ones like maida. Have healthy Indian fats like ghee, coconut, coconut oil in your diet. 

2. Opt out of junk food, packaged food, deep fried foods. Prefer steamed snacks and other non-fried snacks. Check out some Healthy Indian Snacks. Remember to eat small frequent meals through the day as that will keep you always full and prevent your blood sugar from dropping. By starving your body through some diet, will not help you one bit. In fact, dieting will make you binge on 2 to 3 meals which is not good. 

Skip having Indian junk foods like pav bhaji, bata vada, pakoras, gulab jamun as they cause your body to have insulance resistance. The resultant is your body will store more carbohydrates as fats, causing storage of fat in the stomach causing a paunch and slowing down of our fat burning process. So its a bad cyle which causes you more more hunger and fatigue every time you eat junk food. 

3. Have 4 to 5 servings of vegetables and 2 to 3 servings of fruit is a must. Follow the logic of a vegetable in each main meal of the day and a fruit in-between meals. Check out a few Healthy Indian Soups and Healthy Indian Salads  recipes using this food group.           

4. Cut down on sugar and salt in your diet and pick honey ( very small amounts) or dates to sweeten your food. Slowly cut the sugar habit as this is not going to happen over night. Sugar  is also called white poison. It is a simple carbohydrate with zero nutritional value. On intake, sugar will cause inflammation of the body which will last for many hours. It will spike your blood sugar level and shut down the fat burning process. This also causes high blood sugar levels in your body. The development of prediabetes comes from uncontrolled eating sugar and refined food products for many years and the classic symptom is if you have excess belly fat. This leads to diabetes and further onwards to heart attack, high blood pressure, strokes, impotence and kidney damage. 

Salt and blood pressure. Apart from stress and obesity, one of the main reasons for high blood pressure is excessive sodium and salt intake. Most people find it difficult to limit the amount of salt in their cooking, thinking it will affect the taste of their favourite dishes. 

This is not true. Bajra and jowar are rich in potassium and critical for those with High Blood Pressure as it lessens the impact of sodium. Eating more Potassium Rich Foods will remove more sodium from your body through urine. So include the basic bajra roti and jowar roti in your daily diet to have with Lower Blood Pressure Subzis Recipes. 

5. Befriend a few healthy seeds and nuts like chia seeds, flax seeds, sesame seeds, walnuts and almonds. Stress. The easiest way to kill your immune system is chronic stress. 

6.  Sprouts are called ‘living food’. They are high is most nutrients and easy to digest as well. Let them feature in your meals at least thrice a week. Also Read : All Benefits about Sprouts. 

7.  Exercise 45 minutes every day. No excuse. You can walk fast, run, do weights, play your favourite sport or go to the gym. No activity reduces muscle tissue which will lead to muscke loss and all kinds of problems with that. Workout builds immunity and keeps virus or bugs away. 

8.  Sleep early and get up early. Get your body into rhythm and it will function best. Sleep helps your body to recover and makes you look much younger. Also getting good sleep prevent muscle loss, builds immunity and keeps virus or bugs away.

How to burn 349 calories that come from one serving of Sweet Rice?

Walking (6 kmph) = 1 hour 45 mins
Running (11 kmph) = 35 mins
Cycling (30 kmph) = 47 mins
Swimming (2 kmph) = 1 hour

Note: These values are approximate and calorie burning differs in each individual.