Kashmiri Pulao

Kashmiri Pulao

One recipe which I wished to prepare for quite sometime and which I managed to prepare this week.The relaxed Sunday routine gave me ample time to experiment into the kitchen once again.Whereas the background of the lunch was provided in an earlier post of mine, this one is more objective. It details the nitty gritties of the Kashmiri Pulao - a little sweet,fruity and nutty dish.

Serves: 4

Preparation Time: 15 mins
Cooking Time:15 mins.

Preparation:

• Ingredients: Fine long grained Basmati - the best you get in the market: 300 gms.
• Melted Ghee: 2 tbsp
• Salt: To taste

Prepare rice by sprinkling some salt and melted ghee in the water.Once the rice is done, spread the cooked rice over some plates so that the moisture evaporates, thereby yielding nice dry ghee scented grains.


Cooking:
Ingredients:

Kashmiri Pulao with Kandhari Gosht

• Cooked Ghee Scented Fine Rice(as mentioned above)
• Cashew: 50 gms
• Blanched Almonds: 25 gms.Skin removed
• Blanced Raisins: 25 gms.
• Grapes: 100 gms
• Sliced Pineapple: 18-20 very small slices.
• Pomegranate Seeds: 5-6 tsp
• Beans: 50 gms. Cut into very small pieces.(Optional)
• Carrot: 50 gms.Cut into very small pieces.(Optional)
• Melted Ghee: 2tbsp for frying the nuts and paneer.5 tb sp for the pulao.
• Paneer: 100 gms.Cut into very small cubes.
• Sugar: 2 tsp
• Salt: To taste
• Green Cardamin Powder: 1/2 tsp
• Nutmeg(Jaiphal) powder: 1/2 tsp
• Rose water: 1 tsp
• Saffron: 1/2 tsp,soaked in hot milk.

Procedure:

• Steam the beans and carrot pieces in boiling water for 5-7 mins.Once the beans/carrot pieces get soft, remove and spread them in the open so that the moisture dries up.
• In 2 tbsp of ghee, fry the cashew nuts,blanched almonds and raisins and paneer cubes for 2 mins under low heat and keep aside.
• In a heavy bottomed pan/wide bottomed kadai heat 5tbsp of melted ghee
• Add the Nutmeg powder and green cardamon powder into it.
• When the smell of the spices evolve, add the rice gradually.When all of the rice has been added, add the sugar.Stir for 3-4 mins, so that the sugar mixes uniformly with the rice.
• Add salt,depending upon taste.Then add the beans,carrot, cashew nuts, rains,almonds and paneer.Stir for 4-5 mins.
• Spread 25 ml of hot milk soaked with saffron over the pulao.
• Stir for 2 mins.
• At the end,add the rose water.
• Garnish with all the fruits - Pomegranate,grapes and pineapple.

The Kashmiri pulao goes well with rich mutton recipes.