Biranj is a timeless Gujarati sweet dish made with basmati rice, chana dal and nuts. It is flavoured with aromatic whole spices and luxurious saffron. Perfect for special occasions such as Diwali.
You may like to explore this collection of the best Gujarati sweets recipes.
This is my family's recipe of biranj - it's been passed down generations!
Biranj is a truly royal dish made with the best ingredients - long grain rice, chana dal, nuts, raisins and whole spices. It is flavoured with saffron and sugar, with the saffron giving a beautiful golden hue.
The whole spices are sauteed in ghee to release their aroma, rice and chana dal is cooked until almost done. The sugar and saffron milk is then added to finish off the dish. The final process steams the rice ensuring all grains are separate and fluffy.
I like to serve biranj with a delicate scattering of rose petals.
In Persian or Farsi, rice is known as Berenj or Birinj. This recipe has similarities to Zarda, a sweet rice that is usually made during Ramadan.
Ingredients notes
Be sure to check out the full recipe and exact ingredient list below in the recipe card.
Basmati rice - alternatively use sella rice which has a non sticky texture and gives separate grains.
Chana dal - also known as bengal gram.
Ghee - I always use homemade desi ghee but store bought works well too.
Sugar - regular granulated sugar works best.
Milk - full fat or whole milk is best for creaminess but you can use any.
Saffron threads - to get the most from your saffron, I highly recommend lightly toasting for half a minute then crushing. Adding crushed saffron to warm milk will greatly increase the yellow colour and aroma in your final dish.
Whole spices - green cardamom, clove, cinnamon and bay leaf.
Nuts – chopped almond, cashew and pistachios.
Raisins or sultanas
Serving suggestion
We often serve Biranj as a delicious dessert as part of a Gujarati thali. Biranj is often prepared on Indian festivals like Diwali but also any happy occasions.
It is served and enjoyed at room temperature.
Storage
Store biranj in an airtight container and keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Prior to serving, you may need to reheat it just a bit as the ghee will have hardened and will make your rice appear hard too.
Other sweet rice recipes
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Biranj
Equipment
- pan
Ingredients
- 2 cup basmati rice
- ⅓ cup chana dal
- ¼ cup ghee
- ¾ cup sugar
- ¼ cup mixed nuts almonds, cashew and pistachio
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon saffron
- 1 tablespoon whole spices green cardamom, clove, cinnamon and bay leaf
- 2 tablespoon raisins
Garnish (optional)
- edible dried rose petals
- silver or gold varq edible foil
- chopped nuts
- saffron strands
Instructions
- Thoroughly wash the rice and chana dal separately and leave to soak for 30 minutes.
- Also, lightly toast saffron strands, crush in a pestle and mortar and mix in with warm milk to steep.
- In a heavy bottom pan, heat ghee and add all of the whole spices.
- As they sizzle, add in drained rice and chana dal and sauté for a minute.
- Then add 1 cup water and allow the rice and dal cook.
- Cook until the rice is about 70% done. At this stage, you won’t see any water in the pan.
- Add the sugar and saffron milk, all the nuts and raisins.
- Cover the pan with a lid and switch to the lowest heat.
- Allow rice to cook for another 10 minutes or until soft and fluffy.
- Once done, gently fluff the rice with a fork to separate the grains.
- Allow the Biranj to rest for 5-7 minutes before serving.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
Share on Facebook Pin This RecipeNote – This recipe has been updated from our recipe archives with new images and content, but the recipe remains the same. First published in September 2016.
Kippygo says
oooh I love sweet basmati rice dishes <3
Mayuri Patel says
biranj for Gujaratis from Charotar usually means sev(vermicelli) cooked in milk till it becomes thick. Love your biranj, its so colourful and different.