The Kashmiri Pulav what we see in restaurants have so many fresh fruits and dry fruits and are sweetish in taste as well. But in 2011, when we went to Kashmir, the care taker of our boat house made this wonderful Pulav which he served with tadka dal. That Pulav neither had fresh fruits nor so many dry fruits and it was not that sweet. It had raw yellow fresh dates, coconut chunks, cashew and raisins. My family liked this very much and wanted to note down the recipe to try it out. When I asked for the same.
Our care taker Mahdha kaka was very happy to share his recipe and I want to dedicate this blogpost of mine to this humble man.
here we go for detailed account –
Ingredients:
Basmati rice – 3 cups
Ghee – 150 Gms
Onion – 2 (sliced)
Ginger garlic paste – 1 tbl sp
Shahi jeera- 1 tsp
Bay leaf – 1
Salt
Saffron – 7 -8 strings
Hot milk – ¼ cup
Yellow dates, Raisins, cashew and dry coconut bits – as you wish.
Method:
– At first wash rice, soak for 10 min and drain the water and keep aside.
– Soak saffron in hot milk and keep aside. Slice dates, coconut etc.
– Now take one thick bottomed pan, put little ghee, fry cashew, raisin, coconut slices and dates one by one and keep aside.
– Now fry half of the onion in to dark brown and keep aside.
– Pour remaining ghee, put Shahi jeera, bay leaf then remaining sliced onion and fry for a while.
– When it becomes brown add ginger garlic paste and fry until raw smell vanishes.
– Add drained rice, fry for a while.
– Now add 6 cups of water, salt and cook this rice by closing the lid and keeping it in a simmer.
– When rice is almost done, add soaked saffron with milk, fried onion, dates, raisins and cashew.
– Mix everything and keep it in a fire for little more time until all the water evaporates or until rice is done.
– Enjoy this Kashmiri Pulav with Tadka dal.