I made this Bengali Mishti pulao to go with the Enchor Kofta curry. Typically this pulao is made using Gobindo bhog rice which is an aromatic short grain rice, very popular in Bengali households. I've never seen it in Indian stores here, so I used regular basmati rice. Soma says good quality jasmine rice can also be used instead.
Rice is rinsed, drained and dried for at least 30 minutes before making the dish. It is then sauteed with whole spices until aromatic and then cooked till tender. Care is taken to make sure each rice grain is separate and the dish doesn't end up becoming mushy.
I followed Soma's recipe to the T, except I skipped the caramelized onions on top and added some mixed vegetables instead to give some color and make the dish more filling. All in all this is a simple dish that is sure to make any meal extra special.
Wash the rice until the water runs clear. Drain the water, sprinkle some turmeric on the rice to get a nice yellow hue and spread the rice as a thin layer on kitchen towel or paper towels to dry for about 30 minutes or even more. Rice should feel dry to touch when ready.
Heat ghee in a heavy bottomed pan; add lightly crushed cardamom, cloves and cinnamon stick, green chilies and bay leaf. Saute until the spices are aromatic, add cashews, raisina and almonds. Cook till the nuts turn golden.
Add the mixed vegetables and cook for 2~3 minutes.
Add the rice, salt, sugar and grated ginger. Cook on medium flame for a few minutes until the rice is coated with the ghee and starts to glisten, about 3~4 minutes.
Add 11/2cups of boiling water to the rice along with the saffron strands. Cook uncovered till the water on the top of the rice almost disappears. Now lower the heat, cover the pot and simmer for 5~6 more minutes. Turn off the heat and let the rice sit for another 10~15 minutes.
Uncover the pot and fluff the rice with a fork. Serve with spicy side dish or just as is.
Usha Rao
Colorful and a tempting bowl pulao.
Srivalli
You have got the rice texture to perfect..Love that bowl of Rice!
Sapana Behl
Love this flavorful and delicious bow of misthi pulao.
vaishali sabnani
Lovely rice Pavani . I got some Govind Bhog rice from my neighbour in Delhi , they have an awesome aroma .
Sandhya Ramakrishnan
What a lovely rice!
Priya Joshi
I never heard about this recipe before... Bookmarking it
Kalyani
What a tempting pulao !! Great clicks too
PJ
Such a tempting plate of rice. Looks inviting...
The Pumpkin Farm
vibrant looking pulao
veena krishnakumar
Lovely. I am tempted to make this