Pulao

Name: Pulao
Yield: Serves 6
Cuisine: India
Ingredients: 500 g (2½ cups) basmati rice; 2 tablespoons fresh or frozen peas rosewater (optional); 2 Indian bay leaves (cassia leaves); 250 ml (1 cup) coconut milk; 2 tablespoons raisins or sultanas; 1 tablespoon ginger juice; 15 saffron threads, Soaked in 1 tablespoon warm milk; 1 teaspoon sugar; 1 teaspoon cumin seeds; 5 cardamom pods; 2 cinnamon sticks; 2 onions, finely sliced; 4 tablespoons ghee or oil; 2 tablespoons chopped almonds

Preparation info

Serves
6

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

The Food of India

By Priya Wickramasinghe

Published 2005

About

Pulao or pilaf can be plain or a festive, elaborate dish with fruit, nuts and spices as here. Rice dishes that reflect these flavours can be found as far afield as Southern Russia, persia and morocco, a legacy of dishes travelling with conquerors and traders.

Ingredients

500 g (2½ cups) basmati rice
1 teaspoon cumin seeds

Asia
India
Main course
Side dish
Gluten-free
Vegetarian
Spicy

Method

Wash the rice in a sieve under cold, running water until the water from the rice runs clear. Drain the rice and put in a saucepan, cover with water and Soak for 30 minutes. Drain.

Place a small frying pan over low heat and dry-roast the cumin seeds until aromatic.

Heat the ghee or oil in a karhai or heavy-based frying pan and fry the almonds and raisins until browned. Remove fro