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| Bengali Paneer Pulao |
This year the summer lacked its vigour unlike the previous years.That made it more bearable and far more pleasant.I had a few family obligations this year and hence was not able to blog much , nor did we have a “welcome summer” party. As I pen down this blog, and hear the rain outside and then look at the room,vacant and the curtains blowing in the winds and feel that everything is so calm here. The thoughts,they drift away to one cloudy evening in Gangtok. We had spent a good deal walking from the hotel, around 3 kms away and reached the mall. The walk had left us very hungry and we went to a restaurant, seated on the first floor, beside the large windows from where we could watch the street below. People were seated on the benches, underneath the largely decorated lamps. There was a thick cloud cover and all of a sudden it started to blow cold and then there was a mist shrouding the entire place and then as if from no where it started to rain. The street, which was bustling with activity just a while back was now empty. And I remember the momos,chili chicken and vodka that we had could not have been more tastier. Later, after the rain stopped, we took a long walk, spent a few moments standing by the cold railings watching the huge valley caught in the thick mist. We finished off the packet of crunchy popcorns that the wife had bought and then we walked down the paved road to reach the hotel again.
This thought had almost landed me in Gangtok and let me get back to writing the recipe of the Pulao.Not sure that I have found an apt name to it, I decided to call it Bengali Styled Paneer pulao.
Preparation Time: 20 mins
Cooking Time: 20 mins
Serves: 4
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| Bengali Paneer Pulao with Egg Masala |
Ingredients:
- Fine Basmati Rice: 250 gms.Boil the rice and spread it out in the open so that it can get dry.
- Paneer: 150 gms. Cut into very small pieces.
- Raisins: 25 gms.Fry the paneer slices in oil for sometime and keep aside.
- Cashew: 35-40 gms
- A small pinch of saffron soaked in hot milk – 4 tbsp.
- Elaichi: 2
- Darchini:One 1 inch piece
- Black Pepper: 3-4.Crushed
- Melted Ghee: 5-6 tbsp
- Sugar: 3 tbsp
- Salt: To taste
- Green Chili: 2.Cut into very small pieces.
- Onion: 50 gms.Very finely sliced.
- Ginger: 1/4th inch.Made into a paste.
- Garlic: 2 cloves. Made into a paste.
Procedure:
- Heat the ghee in a kadai.
- Once the ghee gets hot, add the elaichi,darchini,black pepper,green chilies, ginger and garlic.
- Lightly stir for a minute and then add the finely sliced onion.
- Continue to stir the onion under a medium heat until the slices turn reddish brown.
- Then add the raisins and cashew nut.
- Continue to stir fry for 3-4 mins.
- Then add the rice, a little at a time and fry under low heat.Sprinkle very small portions of salt ,sugar and the kesar milk to the added rice to ensure that the taste remains preserved. Continue this process till the rice is exhausted and the taste is uniform through out.
Serve hot with a curry of your choice. We had it with Egg Curry.
