How To Make Perfect Basanti Pulao
By Rittwik Naskar
Make this bright yellow, semi-sweet rice dish from Bengal that's super flavourful and aromatic. Here are the steps to make it at home.
Ingredients - 1 cup gobindobhog or basmati rice, 3 tbsp ghee, 15-20 each raisins, cashews, and saffron strands, 6 cardamoms, 4 cloves, 2 sticks of cinnamon, 2 bay leaves, 5 tbsp sugar, 2 tbsp salt, 1 tsp turmeric powder, and 2 cups of water.
Rinse the rice and soak it in 3 cups of tap water for 30 minutes.
Heat a pot and add ghee to it. Once it gets hot, add the cashews and raisins and saute till lightly browned.
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Remove the cashews and raisins and add the crushed cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, and bay leaf.
Drain water from the rice and add it to the pan. Gently mix it in with the ghee.
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Add water, sugar, salt, turmeric powder, and saffron, then stir to combine. Return the fried cashews and raisins back to the pot.
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Reduce the heat to low and cover the pot with a lid and cook for 20 minutes.
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Once all the liquid has been absorbed and the rice has been cooked, remove it from the heat and let it rest for 10 minutes.
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Serve hot with semi-dry mutton kosha or shahi aloo dum and enjoy.