Kashmiri Pulao

The Kashmiri Pulao is a very tempting recipe from the Kashmiri cuisine. Although it is a deep cold region high in the Himalayas, Kashmir lies along the ancient overland trade routes between Persia and India, and the cuisine is famous for using a huge assortment of nuts and dried fruits from all over Central and Western Asia.

Paddy took me to a fancy restaurant called “Subhikha” in Cochin. First time in my life I enjoyed this pulao. It was so yummy. That day onwards I am very crazy about this fancy pulao.  Whenever I am tired to make same food, I always prefer to make  this pulao and Dum Aloo for a change. This pulao is all time favorites for me and Paddy.  This recipe is long time due. Here you go…

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice                              – 2 cups

Milk -                                        1 1/2 cups

Water                                       – ¼ cup

Fruit water _                                 ¼ cups (drained from mixed fruit can)

Cream                                       – ¼ cup

Paneer cubes                            – 4 no (optinal)

Ghee                                        – 4 tbsp

Saffron-                                        3-4 strands (soaked in ½ tbsp of milk)

Ginger paste                               – 1tsp

Rose water                                – 2 drops (2 - 3 Edible Rose Petals)

Sugar                                        - 1/2 tsp

Fruits& vegetables:

Apple                                       – ½ (Peeled and cut small pieces)

Mixed Fruit can                          – 1 ( drain )

Chopped carrot                          – ¼ cup

Green chillies                             – 2 no (split lengthwise)

Green Peas                                – ½ cup

Nuts:

Raisins                                       –3 tbsp

Cashew nuts                              – 2 tbsp

Pistachio nuts                             – 2 tbsp

Almonds, blanched and diced          2 tbsp

Masalas:

Cloves                                       – 5 no

Green cardamom                       - 4 pods

Cinnamon                                 – 1’’

Bay leaves                                 -2 no

Cumin seed                              – ½ tsp 

Method:

• Wash rice and soak it for 30 minutes.  Drain rice and keep it aside. 
• Soak the strands of saffron in milk, mixing until the milk turns orange.  Keep aside.
• In the meanwhile take a bowl and mix milk, cream, sugar and salt in it.  Keep aside.
• Now, take a pan and heat ghee in it. Put ginger paste,  green chilies,cumin seeds, cinnamon, bay leaf, cardamoms and cloves in it and fry for few minutes. 
• When the seeds start to crackle, add rice and fry in ghee for 2 minutes.
• Add milk, saffron and cream mixture to it along with ¼cup water, fruit juice (drained from fruit tin) and mix well. Shift to Rice cooker. Let it cook. Make sure that the rice is not overcooked and it can be separated too.
• In meanwhile take a pan heat the ghee add vegetables and fry for few minutes. Keep aside.
• Fry all the nuts in the ghee and keep aside.
• Peel and cut apple very small pieces. Keep aside.
• Pour the cooked rice into the pan and add vegetables, fried Paneer (optional), fried nuts, and apple pieces. Stir very carefully so as not to break or mash up the rice grains.
• Now, gently mix it in drained fruit and sprinkle Rose Water or finely broken rose petals over it. 
• Serve hot with Aloo Dum, Fruit Raita.

Note: Add more ghee according to your preference.

Kashmiri Pulao