Rajasthani Meethe Chawal, How to make Kesaria Meethe Chawal

Peele chawal- the fragrant sweet yellow saffron rice. 

This recipe is specially made on Basant Panchami or India’s spring festival. But it can be a feast on any occasion. Basant(Vasant) Panchami  is a festival celebrated in the Hindu month of Magh (Jan/Feb). This festival highlights the upcoming of spring and devoted to Goddess Saraswati – the goddess of knowledge and wisdom. 

We dress in yellow and pray and offer the yellow rice and yellow flowers. The color yellow holds a special meaning for this celebration as it signifies the brilliance of nature and the vibrancy of life. Also during this time of the year, India’s crops field are filled with yellow color, as the yellow mustard flowers bloom at this time. 

Meethe chawal is a traditional Rajasthani recipe. The fragrant sweetened rice is flavored with saffron and cardamom and garnished with nuts. 

In this recipe I am not using any food color, but if you want you can add for that extra bright yellow color.

Step by step recipe of Meethe chawal:

Rinse 1 cup of Basmati rice thoroughly until water runs clear. Soak it for at least 30 minutes. After that drain it and keep aside.

Take a heavy bottom pan and pour 2 tbsp. of Ghee in it. Add all the nuts and fry them until golden. Remove them in a plate and keep it aside.

Now add 3-4 cloves and a black cardamom to it.

When it becomes fragrant, add the drained rice.

Lightly sauté, taking care, not to break the rice.

When the rice becomes translucent, add 2 cups of boiling water to it. 

Also add the saffron infused water. Cover and cook on low flame. Keep an eye on rice because we want it to cook until ¾ th done. Keep stirring intermittently to make sure it does not stick to the bottom.

Add ¾ cup sugar and ½ tsp cardamom powder and mix well. Stir until water is thick and rice is cooked.

Turn off the flame and keep the pan covered for 10 minutes and you are done. 

Garnish it with the fried nuts, grated coconut. 

Fluff up the rice. 

Serve warm.

Meethe chawal/Kesari chawal recipe below:

Meethe Chawal Prep time Cook time Total  10 min  20 min 30 min Meethe chawal – Fragrant sweet rice flavored with saffron and cardamom. AUTHOR: Monali RECIPE TYPE: Indian sweet CUISINE: Indian SERVES: 4 INGREDIENTS (measuring cup used, 1 cup=237 ml) 1 cup Basmati rice/Long grain white rice 2 tbsp. Ghee/Clarified butter A handful of mixed nuts of your choice 4 cloves/laung 1 black cardamom / badi elaichi 2 cups of boiling water ¾ cup Sugar (adjust the quantity to suit your taste) A few strands of Saffron ½ tsp cardamom powder 1 tsp desiccated coconut  DIRECTION Wash the rice thoroughly until water runs clear. Soak it for at least 30 minutes. After that drain it and keep aside. Take a heavy bottom pan and pour ghee in it. Add all the nuts and fry them until golden. Remove them in a plate and keep it aside. Now add clove and black cardamom to it. When it becomes fragrant, add the drained rice. Lightly sauté, taking care, not to break the rice. When the rice becomes translucent, add boiling water to it. Also add the saffron infused water. Cover and cook on low flame. Keep an eye on rice because we want it to cook ¾ th. Keep stirring intermittently to make sure it does not stick to the bottom. Add sugar and cardamom powder and mix well. Stir until water is thick and rice is cooked. Turn off the flame and keep the pan covered for 10 minutes and you are done. Fluff up the rice. Garnish it with the fried nuts, grated coconut. Serve warm.  NOTES The rice not becomes mushy, unless you add a lot of water and over cook it. The rice grains will fluff up and remain separate if you saute the drained rice in ghee well.