BENGALI PULAO

INGREDIENTS

½ kg rice, soaked for 45 minutes in water 2 bay leaves, 1 tsp jeera 2 tsp raisins, 12-14 cashew nuts 6 cloves, 6 cardamoms1" piece cinnamon

1 onion finely sliced, 1 tsp. ginger paste

½ tsp. sugar, saffron soaked in a tbsp. of milk ¼ cup desi ghee

Salt to taste, Hot water

METHOD

1 Clean, wash and soak rice for 45 minutes in water.

2 Heat a handi add desi ghee, add cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, cashews add bay leaves, let it splutter, take it out and keep aside.

3 Now add jeera and sauté it, add onion and fry till golden brown, add ginger paste cook till light brown.

4 Add soaked rice, salt and sugar, fry for a few minutes, and add raisins, saffron-milk mixture, fried cloves, cinnamon, cardamom and cashew nuts

5 Add hot water, (quantity of water should be 1” over the level of rice), first cook on medium heat with lid on, then when the bubbles start coming, DUM it till it is cooked, finally remove the lid and cook for some extra time to allow extra water to completely evaporate.

6 Garnish with nuts and fried onions, serve hot.

NOTE: For measurement of quantity of water to be added, measure the rice in any container by volume, double the quantity of water and extra bit of water as per quality of rice. It is very

DUM: Cooking on low flame of heat with lid on is known as DUM