Kashmiri Pulao Recipe
Preparation Time:30 mins | Cooking Time : 25mins | Serves:2
Recipe Category: Sidedish | Recipe Cuisine: North Indian
Recipe Category: Sidedish | Recipe Cuisine: North Indian
Basmati Rice - 1 cup
Milk - 1/2 cup + 2 tsp
Water - 1 and 1/2 cups
Saffron - a tiny pinch(5-6 strands)
Big Onion - 1 chopped lengthwise
Roasted jeera powder - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 1/2 tbsp
Salt - to taste
To temper:
Ghee - 1.5 tbsp + 1 tbsp(for frying)Cinnamon - three 1/4 inch piece
Cloves - 2
Cardamom - 1
Star Anise - 1
Fruits & Dry Fruits & Nuts:
Pineapple + Pomegranate - 1/2 cup choppedCashews - 2 tbsp + 5 whole for garnish
Almonds - 3 tbsp
Raisins - 2.5 tbsp
Method:
- Rinse rise and Soak it in water for 30mins,Set aside.Now in a pan - heat 1.5 tbsp ghee add the ingredients listed under 'to temper' let it splutter then drain and add rice and saute for 3mins.
- Soak saffron in 2 tsp warm milk and crush it well.Add the saffron milk mixture to rice, then add 1/2 cup milk and a and 1/2 cups water with required salt.
- Cook covered until rice is done.Once rice is cooked switch off and fluff it up with a fork and set aside.Now heat remaining ghee add the dry fruits and nuts, fry well till its crispy and becomes golden brown.I fried the whole cashews separately and reserved it for garnishing.
- Now heat 1/2 tbsp oil and fry the onions till nicely browned(you can deep fry them too).Heat up the rice once if its too cold, Now add fried onions,ghee fried dry fruits and nuts to it and switch off.
- When its still warm add the fruits and give a quick stir.Finally add roasted jeera powder and give a quick mix.
My Notes:
- You can pressure cook rice in the same mentioned ratio of water and milk for 1 cup of rice for 3 whistles.
- If you dont want the spices to come while eating then discard them.
- Dont add the fruits while rice is hot it will leave out water.Add fruits just before serving.So if you are making for guests, get all your ingredients ready and while you are about to serve heat the rice give a quick stir and when its still warm all fried onions,dry fruits nuts and fresh fruits.
- Dont heat / reheat after fruits are added.
- You can even deep fry onions to save time, I tawa toasted it and it took around 10-12mins to get roasted well.
- Reserve whole cashews and use it for garnish and serving.
- Adding roasted jeera powder gives a nice flavour.
- You can even add 1/3 cup of cubed paneer.
- Presoaking rice not only cooks the rice faster, it gives nice soft fluffy rice.Make sure you saute the rice in ghee before cooking which helps in cooking the rice grain separated.
- You can even add apples but since it browns faster I avoided it.You can add few fresh green / black grapes to the pulao.
- You can even add vegetables like peas and carrot but I prefer making it just with fruits as the traditional way.
- As the pulao is mildy sweet, pair it up with any spicy kurma or sidedish.
