Mewe Ke Meethe Chawal is a festive dish made during Basant Panchami. Basant Panchami is a Hindu festival that highlights the coming of spring. Basant means spring and Panchami means “the fifth day”. On this day, Hindus visit temples and pray to Goddess Saraswati – the goddess of knowledge, and celebrate the day as Saraswati Puja. This day is mostly celebrated in northern states of Punjab, Rajasthan, Bihar, Bengal and Odisha, by wearing saffron clothes, cooking sweet saffron rice for the bhog to be offered to the Goddess.
Meethe Chawal is made with long grain rice, whole spices, dry fruits and sugar. This aromatic sweet rice is often eaten with Mogar (Savory Moong Dal) in Rajasthan. Chashni Ke Chawal with Mogar is the perfect combination as the classic Boondi Bhujia.
Yield: 4 serving
Prep time: 5 minutes
Total time: 25 minutes
Ingredients for Mewe Ke Meethe Chawal
½ cup basmati rice soaked
½ cup sugar
½ cup milk
1 cup water
2 tablespoon cashew broken
1 tablespoon almond chopped
2 tablespoon raisins
4 cloves
2 green cardamoms
2 bay leaves
1 small stick of cinnamon
1 mace
¼ teaspoon cardamom powder
A few strands of saffron soaked in 1 teaspoon milk
A small pinch of food colour/ turmeric
2 tablespoon ghee
Directions for Mewe Ke Meethe Chawal
- Drain the water from the rice.
- Heat the ghee in a pan; add cashew, almond and fry till light brown. Remove half of this to garnish later.
- Add bay leaves, clove cardamom, cinnamon, mace and saute for a few seconds.
- Now add the rice and colour and gently saute the rice for 3 to 4 minutes, taking care not to break the rice.
- Add 1 cup water, cover and cook till the water is absorbed and rice is half cooked.
- Now add the raisin, milk, sugar, stir gently, cover and cook on low heat.
- After 5 minutes check the rice and let it cook till all the milk is absorbed.
- Switch off the heat, add cardamom powder, saffron and mix lightly.
- Let it rest for another 5 to 10 minutes.
- Sprinkle the roasted nut on top.
- Serve.
