Saturday 29 March 2014

Pilau flavored with whole spices, nuts and dry fruits

Plain pilau / nuts pilau is my moms recipe. She makes this pilau when we have unexpected guests at home. This is a most flavourful pilau that can be made in jiffy. My mom makes spicy egg curry and raita to go along with it. This pilau does not require vegetable broth. Rice is cooked in water, yet the flavour is awesome because of the crushed garlic and whole spices we use in the making.



Ingredients

  • 1 Cup Long grain Rice / Basmati Rice
  • 1 and 1/2 Cup water
  • About 10 shallots chopped finely ( You can use one medium onion instead of shallots)
  • 2 Tablespoon Oil
 

                 
 
  • 1 Bay leaf
  • 2 Green cardamom
  • 1 Black Cardamom
  • 3 Cloves
  • 6 Crushed garlic cloves
  • 10 whole black pepper
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds
  • 1/2 Inch Ginger finely chopped
  • 10 mint leaves (optional)
  • Salt as required
  • 1 Tablespoon Coconut milk
  • a pinch of saffron
  • Salt as required
  • 10 cashew nuts
  • 10 Sultanas / raisins

Directions

1. Soak rice in regular tap water for 15 minutes
2. I made this rice in pressure cooker since I was in a hurry to go out. But , this rice should be made in a pan.
3. In a pan, heat oil. When the oil is hot, reduce the flame to lowest setting and add cashew nuts and fry until they are nice golden. Remove from oil and drain them on a paper towel. In the same oil fry sultanas or raisins quickly and drain them on a paper towel.
4. In the same oil Cumin seeds, whole black peppers, add bay leaf, cloves, green cardamom, black cardamom.

                                     

4. Fry for a minute. Then add crushed garlic, ginger and mint leaves and fry until garlic turns light brown color. Do not burn garlic
5. Now increase the flame to medium and add chopped shallots and fry until shallots are soft
6. Drain rice and add it to the pan. Stir / mix everything together. Add 1 and 1/2 cups of water , 1 tablespoon coconut milk and saffron. Add salt to taste

                                         

                                       


7. Reduce the flame to lowest setting and cover the pan with lid. Let the rice for 15 to 20 minutes. If you are cooking in pressure cooker, cook for 2 whistles on low flame
 

 

                             

 
 

8. Once the rice is cooked, add the fried cashew nuts and raisins to the rice and mix gently with a fork. Do not over mix or break the rice
9. Serve hot with curry and raita

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