Mishti Pulao : Bengali Sweet Pulao |Cooking|

Mishti Pulao is a very traditional Bengali rice dish which appears in almost every household in special occasions. It is fragrant, rich and has a mild undertone of sweetness, which compliments with spicy non- veg Bengali dishes.

Every family has a unique recipe which has come down through generations and is slightly different than the other. While in some recipe the ingredients differ, in others the cooking style. In our family my grandma used to wash the rice and mix all the ingredients in the rice itself and then cook in a pot in a double boiler. She never used to measure the ingredients in cups or spoons but relied on her eye and experience and each time the pulao used to be as tasty as ever. My maa came up with an easier and fuss free version and I follow her blindly. I prepare this way and each time it comes out great.

Making pulao is easy if you follow certain rules. Soaking the rice for atleast 30 minutes is very important. If you soak for a longer time, the cooking time will be effected. So keeping an eye on the time is important. The proportion of water to rice also matters greatly. If more water is added than needed, the rice will turn clumpy and soggy. Other important point is the choice of rice. In polau, gobindobhog rice is used traditionally but you may use kalajeera or basmati rice but the most important fact is that the rice should be aged. If the rice is not aged then the texture of the rice will be effected too. So these are the few things you have to keep in mind to prepare mishti pulao.

Tips:

Mishti Pulao is essentially sweet in taste as the name suggests (mishti: sweet) but you may change the amount of sweetness in the recipe as per your taste. The adding of the rose water is optional. It gives a great aroma to the dish. You may mix oil and ghee to cut down the ghee for health reasons but the pulao tastes great with only ghee. You can use the store bought garam-masala or else make at home. Dry roast 2-3 green cardamoms,1 cinnamon stick, few cloves, and half of nutmeg and 1 blade of  mace.  When it is cool make a fine powder and store in an airtight container. Use when needed.

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MISHTI PULAO : BENGALI SWEET PULAO

• YIELD: 4-6 Servings
• PREP: 30 mins
• COOK: 30 mins
• READY IN: 60 mins

Mishti Pulao is a very traditional Bengali rice dish which appears in almost every household in special occasions. It is fragrant, rich and has a mild undertone of sweetness, which compliments with spicy non- veg Bengali dishes.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups govindobhog rice
• 10-12 pieces cashew nuts
• 10-15 pieces raisins or kishmish
• 2 small cinnamon stick
• 2 pieces green cardamom
• 2-3 pieces cloves
• 2 medium bay leaves
• 2 teapoons garam masala powder see tips
• 2 teaspoons turmeric powder
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 1 pinch saffron
• 2 drops rose water
• 4 tablespoons ghee or clarified butter

INSTRUCTIONS

1. 1. Wash and soak the rice in water for 30 minutes. Wash the raisins and soak them as well. Drain the rice completely in a strainer after 30 minutes of soaking.
   2. Heat a big heavy bottomed pot which has a lid and add 2 tablespoons of ghee and add the cashew nuts. Fry them lightly until golden brown, drain and keep aside. Add 1 more tablespoon of ghee and add the cinnamon stick, cardamom, cloves and bay leaves. When they start to splutter add the drained rice and stir gently in medium-high heat. Add the turmeric powder and garam masala powder and stir gently until the rice turns opaque. Add the fried cashews and soaked raisins and stir.
   3. Meanwhile in another pot, measure 3 3/4 cups of water and bring to a boil. Add salt, sugar, saffron and 2 drops of rose water. Mix in well, add the remaining tablespoon of ghee and add the boiling water to the rice.
   4. Bring the heat to high and let the rice cook uncovered until there is no visible water and big bubbles begin to form about 5-7 minutes. Now bring the heat to medium and cover the pot with a tight fitting lid and let it cook for another 5 minutes. Switch off the flame and let it sit for 10 minutes. Do not open the lid in between.
   5. After 10 minutes, open the lid and fluff the rice with a fork and cover for at least 5 minutes. Mishti pulao is ready to enjoy.
   6. Serve hot with kosha mansho, chingrir malaicurry, or rui macher kalia.

• CUISINE: Indian
• COURSE: Main Course

60

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