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Roti and rice are two staple carbs of the Indian diet. Both are equally loved and eaten in the country. While some parts of the country like Bengal, Bihar and South India emphasize more on rice, others have it on an occasional basis. Rice is so intrinsic to our diet that we have special regional dishes dedicated to rice. Usually when we think of rice, it’s either a spicy biryani or a flavourful pulao or simply, a one-pot light and easy khichdi. The common string between all these one-pot rice meals is that they are savoury. Now you might ask, so what? Well, because there are some sweet rice dishes that exist too.
Come winters, my grandmother starts sprucing up rice along with jaggery in a vessel. When I used to watch the process as a kid, I would always ask her as to why was she adding gur to the rice. Her instant reply would be “This is gur ke chawal” and I failed to understand how rice could be paired with something sweet. Although I couldn’t understand the reason behind it back then, I would happily gorge on a plate of aromatic gur ke chawal after that. Later, I realized that gur is actually a great ingredient for winters. It is a natural sweetner, for one, so no worries about calories. Another important reason for consuming jaggery aka gur is that it has a hot potency which helps to keep the body warm during winters and gives you a nutrient-rich dish.
Now that we’ve spoken so much about sweet rice, how about trying some of them this winter season?
1. Zarda
Loaded with sugar, ghee and spices like bay leaves, Zarda is a flavourful sweet rice dish that is popular not just in India but Pakistan too. The yellow-coloured rice gets its bright appearance from the use of haldi and the aroma is all thanks to the strands of saffron. Often times, it is also called meethe chawal and garnished with almonds.
2. Kanika
This specialty from Odisha is a favourite rice dessert in the region. Not only is the sweet and spicy rice mix well-received by people at home, it is also a part of the prasad offered at Jagannath Puri temple in the state. The religious status accorded to this dish is livened up with the flavours of sugar along with cinnamon, cardamom and cloves.
3. Laafsee
A dessert from the Mughlai cuisine, laafsee is made with short and thick-grained rice. This sweet rice is unique as it makes use of onions and garlic in its preparation along with sugar, ghee and fennel seeds.
4. Gode Gul Bhaat
This Maharashtrian sweet rice version is a hit during winters. The bhaat is prepared using jaggery and coconut which lends the short-grained rice a flavourful taste. Laden with chopped dry fruits, it adds to the crunch of the dish.
