Bengali Mishti Pulao with Vegetables
These are very hot little firecrackers from the orient. They can be used to add spice to almost any oriental dish. They dry very easily and can be stored and used this way for a long time.
Ingredients:
1 cup Basmati rice or Gobindo bhog rice
1 tbsp ghee
1″ Cinnamon stick
3 Green Cardamom
2 Cloves
1 Bay leaf
1″ Ginger, finely grated
2 tbsp Cashews
2 tbsp Raisins
2 tbsp Slivered Almonds
1 cup Mixed Vegetables (I used frozen veg mix with carrots, green beans, corn and green peas)
ΒΌ tsp Turmeric
1 Green Chile, slit
Pinch Saffron
To taste Salt & Pepper
2 tsp Sugar (adjust as per taste)
Method:
Wash the rice until the water runs clear. Drain the water, sprinkle some turmeric on the rice to get a nice yellow hue and spread the rice as a thin layer on kitchen towel or paper towels to dry for about 30 minutes or even more. Rice should feel dry to touch when ready.
Heat ghee in a heavy bottomed pan; add lightly crushed cardamom, cloves and cinnamon stick, green chiles and bay leaf. Saute until the spices are aromatic, add cashews, raisina and almonds. Cook till the nuts turn golden.
Add the mixed vegetables and cook for 2~3 minutes.
Add the rice, salt, sugar and grated ginger. Cook on medium flame for a few minutes until the rice is coated with the ghee and starts to glisten, about 3~4 minutes.
Add 11/2cups of boiling water to the rice along with the saffron strands. Cook uncovered till the water on the top of the rice almost disappears. Now lower the heat, cover the pot and simmer for 5~6 more minutes. Turn off the heat and let the rice sit for another 10~15 minutes.
Uncover the pot and fluff the rice with a fork. Serve with spicy side dish or just as is.
From cookshideout.com