Stove top Zarda

Wash the rice until the water's clear. Then soak it in twice as much water for 30 minutes. Keep the water! You'll need it later. Soaking helps the rice cook faster. If you don't soak, it'll take a bit longer to cook. Always use 2 cups of water for every 1 cup of rice.

Microwave some milk for half a minute and crushed saffron to it. Let it sit until the color comes out. Set it aside. You want the a darker color not pale.

Use a big, deep pot so the rice has room to swell without sticking resulting in fluffy rice. Put the ghee in the pot on medium heat. When it's hot, add the spices and cook until aromatic. Then add nuts and raisins. Cook them until they start to change color, but don't let them turn brown.

Add the rice and ALL the water it was soaking in. Don't worry, the amount is right because the rice already soaked up some water. Add sugar and the saffron milk. Stir it gently.

When the water starts bubbling, put the lid on and cook for about 15 minutes on low to medium heat. If you're making more rice, it'll take longer. Check if it's done by listening for a soft sizzle. If you hear it, cook for a couple more minutes. The rice should be the texture of the rice you eat everyday. When it's done, turn off the heat and let it sit with the lid on for 10 minutes. If your pot isn't big enough, when the water might spill out when you put the lid on.

Use a fork to fluff up the rice and put it in a serving dish. Add the fancy toppings.

Finally, here's the secret: Drizzle some kewra essence on top. Take a moment to enjoy the aromas before you start eating.

Instant Pot Zarda

The order of the steps remain the same however the only thing that will change is as follows

Do not soak the rice, just rinse until the water runs clear.

The rice to water ratio is 1:1, remember you also have saffron milk as a liquid that you are adding.

Pressure cook on normal heat for 6 minutes followed by a natural pressure release.