Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Fast. Ready in under 30 minutes with the help of your Instant Pot. Easy. Follow a few simple steps to get a decadent sweet rice that turns out perfectly every time. Vegetarian. The perfect meat-free treat for the vegetarians in your life. Delicious. Absolutely packed with flavor from the saffron milk, pistachios, and raisins.

Pakistani Zarda Sweet Rice is a delicious Pakistani dessert that is full of rich flavor and texture. It’s famous for the pretty yellow color it gets from the saffron that’s in the recipe. It also has nuts and raisins making it have an interesting texture, besides just the softness of the rice.

Do You Have To Grind Your Own Spices?

I suppose you don’t have to grind your own spices, but I highly recommend it. When you grind your own spices, it keeps the herbs and spices fresh, and you garner much more flavor for your recipe. In this Pakistani Zarda Sweet Rice specifically, grinding the saffron helps to release the color and flavor more so it can absorb into the rice while it cooks. You can just throw in sprigs of saffron, but the results won’t be as delicious.

What Kind of Rice is Sweet Rice?

For this sweet rice recipe, I chose to use basmati rice. I use it in a majority of my recipes, so that’s what I had in my pantry. You can also use glutenous rice, or jasmine rice for this dish.

Is Sweet Rice Healthy?

Calling sweet rice healthy may be a bit of a stretch since it contains sugar, ghee, and whole milk. However, it does have several healthy elements, such as nuts, raisins, and spices. Always know your dietary restrictions before indulging in a new recipe to know if it is a good fit for your personal health.

Ingredients Needed

Saffron Mixture:

Saffron StrandsSugar Or Other Sweetener EquivalentWhole Milk

For the Rice:

Ghee, dividedSliced PistachiosSliced AlmondsRaisinsBasmati RiceSugar Or Other Sweetener EquivalentGround CardamomCinnamonGround Cloves

How To Make Sweet Rice

How Long Does It Last?

Since this Sweet Rice recipe doesn’t contain meat protein, it will stay just as tasty as the day you prepared it for quite some time. If stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, you can expect it to maintain the same texture and flavor for up to a week.

More Delicious Rice Recipes

Instant Pot Mexican RiceDirty RiceJamaican Rice and PeasInstant Pot Black Beans and RiceInstant Pot Sticky Rice with Sausage

Pin It!

If you love this Zarda Sweet Rice as much as we do, make sure you share the recipe with your friends on Facebook and Instagram so they can try it too! Don’t forget to Pin it so you can make it again soon.

Don’t forget to check out my other Best-selling Instant Pot Cookbooks!

Indian Instant Pot, Keto Instant Pot, Instant Pot Fast and Easy, Healthy Instant Pot & Vegetarian Instant Pot.

Sweet Rice   Pakistani Zarda made quickly in the Instant Pot  - 90Sweet Rice   Pakistani Zarda made quickly in the Instant Pot  - 49Sweet Rice   Pakistani Zarda made quickly in the Instant Pot  - 57Sweet Rice   Pakistani Zarda made quickly in the Instant Pot  - 85Sweet Rice   Pakistani Zarda made quickly in the Instant Pot  - 16