Name: Pilau rice with aromatic spices and fruit
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: India
Ingredients: a good pinch of saffron threads, pounded; 225 g/8 oz/generous 1 cup basmati rice; 4 green cardamom pods, bruised; 30 ml/2 tbsp sunflower oil or light olive oil; 4 cloves; 5 ml/1 tsp Royal cumin (shahi zeera); 5 cm/2 in piece cinnamon stick, halved; 25 g/1 oz glacé cherries; 50 g/2 oz/¼ cup unsalted butter; 30 ml/2 tbsp hot milk; 25 g/1 oz/⅙ cup dried ready-to-eat apricots, sliced; 25 g/1 oz/⅙ cup dried ready-to-eat plums, sliced; 25 g/1 oz/¼ cup blanched and slivered almonds; 50 ml/2 fl oz/¼ cup single (light) cream; 25 g/1 oz/¼ cup walnut pieces; 450 ml/¾ pint/scant 2 cups lukewarm milk; 5 ml/1 tsp salt, or to taste

Preparation info

Serves
4

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

The Complete Indian Regional Cookbook

By Mridula Baljekar

Published 2017

About

This north Indian pilau rice recipe, Kashmiri Pulao, is quite different from any other made around the country. It is cooked in milk instead of water, and is further enriched with the addition of cream. The rice is then given an exotic appearance by folding in locally grown fruits such as apricots, cherries and plums. It makes an exquisite and very satisfying vegetarian main dish that is perfect for a dinner party.