ASMA KHAN'S Sada pulao – Bengali pulao with cashews and raisins
Slightly adapted below:
INGREDIENTS
300g Basmati Rice (I used Jasmine instead)
3 tbsp olive oil (just put enough to fry)
2 cardamom pods
1 cinnamon stick, 2.5cm long
2 cloves
1 large bay leaf
90g of raisins (skipped these)
70g of cashew nuts
1 small onion, approximately 100g unpeeled weight, sliced evenly into thin rings
1 tsp salt
ginger
2 cloves garlic
250gram minced meat (i used pork), seasoned with Garam Masala and salt
Method
1 Wash the basmati rice in several changes of cold running water until the water runs clear, then place in a bowl and soak for 2 hours in more fresh cold water. If you do not have time to soak the rice for 2 hours, then do soak it for as long as possible. In addition to this, the grains are less likely to stick as they have absorbed water while soaking and therefore cook faster
2 When ready to cook, drain the soaked basmati rice and set aside. In a heavy-based pan that has a lid, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over a medium-high heat
3 When the oil is hot, add the cardamom pods, cassia bark, cloves and bay leaf to the pan. After a few seconds, when the spices begin to sizzle and pop, using a slotted spoon, remove them from the pan to a plate and set aside
4 Using the same pan the spices were fried in, fry the cashew nuts and stir until lightly brown, then remove with a slotted spoon. [Lower the heat and add the raisins (you need to be quick as you do not want them to burst; remove them the moment they start to swell up)]
5 Finally add the onion to the pan and fry gently, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and caramelized [takes about 30 mins to caramelize]. Using a slotted spoon, remove the onion from the pan and place on a plate to drain. Spread the onions across the plate so they crisp as they cool
6 Put the kettle on to boil. Add the soaked, drained basmati rice bit by bit to the pan with the remainder of the oil. Add the fried spices, bay leaf and half the caramelised onions. Stir for 1 minute to coat the rice in the oil and spice mixture, then add the salt.
7 Cover the rice with 600ml boiling water from the kettle, and cook in a rice cooker until done.
8 Meanwhile, fry up the minced meat until nicely browned. Set aside.
9 Once the rice is cooked, add the minced meat, fried cashew nuts and raisins and gently mix using a fork to lift and separate the grains [oops, i added nuts into the rice as it cooked].
10 Leave rice cooker on keep warm so that juices from minced meat can be absorbed into rice. Garnish with the remaining browned onions and raisins
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