Shahi-Pulav (Rice cooked with Dry Fruits)

Shahi Pulav (Rice and Dry Fruits Pulav)

A rich and wonderful pulav rich in nutrition and delight to eyes and taste buds is a very easy to make. Dry fruits are present in every kitchen be it Indian or any part of the world. Rice is also an integral part of the kitchen. When you have a party to arrange just try this pulav along with the other fare you plan to make your guests will be surprised at by your planning the menu. I used to make it quiet often when the cooked rice used to be left from the dinner or lunch, and pack it in the lunch box of my children. The smile they used to give when they used to be back from school used to make my day. So why should you not try such a rewarding recipe. I am sharing with you all, you have to make it and enjoy with your friends and family.

Preparation Time: 10min.

Cooking Time: 30min.

Servings: 5-6 Large servings

Ingredients Required for Making Shahi-Pulav:

• 250 gm. Basmati Rice

• 50 -75 gm. Cashew nuts

• 50 gm. Almonds

• 50 gm. Raisins

• 3-4 Green Cardamom

Green Cardamom

• 1-2 Pieces of Javitri (dry flower of nutmeg)

Javitri

• 4-5 Cloves

Cloves

• 1 Tea spoon Shah Jeera ( Black cumin seeds)

Shah Jeera (Black Cumin Seeds)

• 1/2 Tea spoon Turmeric Powder

• 1 Tea spoon Red chili Powder

• 1 Tea spoon Sugar

• Salt to taste

• 50 gm. Ghee (4 heaped tea spoon ghee) / Olive oil / cooking oil.

Direction for Making Shahi-Pulav:

• Wash rice.

• Take in a thick bottom container washed rice and 500 ml. water and keep the container on gas on high flame without covering it.

• Let the contents boil.

• Do not stir.

• Cover the container and cook till rice becomes soft (approximately 20min.).

• Remove from gas and immediately drain excess of water by sieving it.

• Pour water on the rice in the sieve to remove excess starch so that the rice grains do not stick to each other.

• Keep aside for cooling.

Rice Boiled to soft texture and then washed with fresh water to remove excess starch

• Cut Almonds and cashew nuts to 2-3 mm. pieces (each almond and cashew to 2-3 piece).

• Take a thick bottom wok and take ghee in it and heat on high flame.

Ghee being heated

• To hot ghee add broken cardamom, Shah jeera (black cumin), Javitri, cloves, and cook for 1 min.

Shah jeera, cardamom, javitri added to hot ghee

• Add cut almonds and cashew nuts and cook till gain golden color. 

Almonds and cashew nuts added to hot ghee and spices

Ready for adding boiled rice

• Add boiled rice to it and mix nicely.

• Cover and cook for 2-3 min.

Boiled rice added to spices and dry fruits mixture in ghee

• Add turmeric powder, salt,red chili powder and mix nicely.

Turmeric powder, salt, red chili powder added to rice, spices and dry fruit mixture in ghee

• Add raisins and sugar and stir.

Sugar and raisins added ti rice mixture

• Cook for 2-3 min. without covering and remove from gas.

• Take out in a serving plate and serve hot. Add few drops of lemon juice and the color will become beautiful yellow.

Shahi Pulav

Shahi pulav after adding few drops of lemon

  Raeally speaking it looks so fabulous that garnishing is not required but if you want use some slices of apple / seeds of fresh pomegranate for garnishing Shahi-Pulav.

Tips:

• Though the taste comes out best with ghee(clarified butter), yet those who for health reason do not eat ghee can replace it with cooking oil. Preferably Olive oil.
  

• Do not cook rice to extreme softness else the Pulav will not come out well.

• If you are not comfortable with boiling rice in the open container then cook it in pressure cooker.

• Do not over fry the almonds and cashew else they will not taste good in pulav.

• Drain water from boiled nicely so that each grain of boiled rice is separated.

• Any rice can be used for making the pulav but best results are obtained if Basmati rice is taken.

Suggested Variations:

• Pistachios, dry seeds of water melon (gabz), dry seeds of cucumber can also be added along with almonds and cashew nut.

• You can boil rice with little Shah jeera and salt to enhance the jeera flavor.

Rice boiled with Shah Jeera( black cumin seeds)

Tamarind Rice/ Pulihora /खट्टा चावल (Rice cooked with spices and Tamarind pulp)

Tamarind Rice

This preparation of rice is most popular in southern India. Tamarind rice is eaten in southern India with relish right from breakfast to dinner. The tangy taste tickles the taste buds and the experience is amazing. When I used to keep tamarind rice or lemon rice for my son’s lunch box, the standing order used to be please keep two lunch boxes full of it one for me one for my friends! Because of tamarind this preparation of rice does not get spoilt even for 24hrs. in summers so an good rice dish for traveling and picnic.

Preparation Time: 10min.

Cooking Time: 10min.

Servings: Makes 4 large servings.

Ingredients required for making Tamarind Rice

• 150gm. Rice
• 25gm. Tamarind
• 50gm. Ground nuts
• 1 Tea spoon Cumin seeds
• 1 Tea spoon Mustard seeds
• 2 Red chilies
• 4-5 curry leaves (sweet neem leaves).
• 1 tea spoon red chili powder
• Salt to taste
• 1 tea spoon sugar
• 5 ml. oil
• Water. 

Direction for preparing Tamarind Rice

Step 1 

• Wash tamarind and soak in 50ml. water for 10min.
• Mash the soaked tamarind to pulp.
• Pass the mashed tamarind through a sieve.
• Discard the solid on the sieve and keep the pulp aside.
• Pulp of tamarind is ready.

Tamarind Pulp

Step 2

• Wash the rice and soak it in 200ml. water for 30 min.
• Put the soaked rice in cooker along with the water used for soaking and close the lid.
• Cook the rice on high flame till the pressure builds in the cooker.
• Lower the flame when the pressure builds in the cooker and cook for 3-4 min. on low flame.
• Remove from heat and allow it to cool.
•  If the grain of cooked rice is sticking remove the rice from cooker and take the rice in a sieve and pass running water through rice and drain nicely.

Boiled  Rice

Step 3

• Take 5ml. oil in a wok.
• Heat it on high flame.
• Fry ground nuts till light brown and remove the fried ground nuts and keep aside.
• To the remaining hot oil add mustard seeds and let them splutter.
• Add cumin seeds, curry leaves and red chilies.
• Let the seeds of cumin splutter but they should not become black.
• Add tamarind pulp, salt, red chili powder, turmeric powder and sugar.

Tamarind pulp being cooked with seasoning

• Cook for 1min. so that the mixture becomes thick but not dry.
• Add cooked rice to the mixture in the wok and mix gently to make a homogeneous mixture of rice spices and tamarind.

Rice being cooked with seasoning and Tamarind pulp

• Add fried ground nuts and mix.
• Cover and cook on low flame for 5 min. with occasional stirring.

Tangy, spicy, and a hint of sweet tasting, tamarind rice is ready. Take out in a serving plate and garnish with grated fresh coconut. ( if fresh coconut is not available you can garnish with grated dry coconut), fresh green leaves of coriander. No accompaniment is required with tamarind rice but if your family insists serve papad with it

Tamarind Rice

Tips:-

• The mixture of tamarind pulp with spices can be made and kept in fridge for a week also, so for the ease of making tamarind rice you can make it and keep in the fridge.
• You can use cashew, almonds also along with ground nuts or  replace  ground nut with cashew and almonds.
• Tamarind mixture can be prepared and kept in fridge and used as and when required.
• You can boil rice in a thick bottom pan also instead of cooker, I personally prefer pressure cooker as it is easy and fast.

Suggested Variation:

• Ground nuts can be replaced by Cashew nuts / Almonds.
• Raisins can be added along with Ground nuts / Cashew nuts / Almonds. 

Chicken Pulav

Chicken pulav is almost similar to chicken biryani, except it is a short cut and when time is less but the family or friends want only non-veg food then this is most convenient. What does it matter if it is a biryani or pulav as far as it is lip smacking. I have lost the count of how many times I have passed chicken pulav as chicken biryani to my children. They lapped it up and were very happy and satiated. Does anything else matter with mother other than broad grin of satisfaction on the children face.!!!!

Preparation Time: 30min.

Cooking Time: 40min.

Servings: Makes 4 large servings.

Ingredients required for making Chicken Pulav:

• 500gm. Dressed Chicken
• 250gm. Rice
• 75gm. Onions
• 1 Tea spoon Garlic Paste
• 1 Tea spoon Ginger Paste
• 1 Green chili
• 1 Tea spoon Red chili Powder
• 1 Tea spoon Garam masala
• 2 Bay leaves
• 4-5 Cloves
• 2-3cm, Cinnamon stick
• 1 Black Cardamom
• 2 Green Cardamom
• 2-3 Petals of Star Aniseed
• Salt to taste
• 50ml Ghee/ cooking oil
• Water

Ingredients required for Marinade:

• 1 Tea spoon Garlic Paste
• 1 Tea spoon Ginger Paste
• 1/4 Tea spoon Turmeric Powder
• 1 Pinch of Nutmeg Powder
• 3-4 Tea spoons of Thick Curd (50gm. Approx...)

Direction To Marinate Chicken:

• Wash the chicken and drain water completely.
• Mix garlic paste, ginger paste, turmeric powder, nutmeg powder and curd.
• Beat the mix with a spoon/fork to creamy texture them nicely. Marinade is ready.
• Coat the cleaned chicken evenly with the with the marinade and keep aside for 30min.

Direction To Make Chicken Pulav:

• Cut onions into thin slices.
• Take ghee/oil in a pressure cooker and heat on high flame.
• When oil is smoking hot low the gas and add bay leaves, cloves, black cardamom, green cardamom, star aniseed, cinnamon stick and let them splutter.(just one min. will be required for all of it to be cooked)
• Add onion slices and cook for 4-5 min.
• When onion becomes golden brown add garlic paste and cook for 1-2min.
• Add ginger paste and cook for 1-2min.
• Add marinated chicken and stir to mix chicken and spices in cooker evenly.
• Cook for 5min. with occasional stirring.
• Drain rice and keep water aside.
• Add rice to the cooker and stir to mix properly.
• Add salt, red chili powder, garam masala and mix with gentle stirring.
• Add water which was kept aside after draining the soaked rice.
• Mix by gentle stirring and close the lid of cooker .
• Put the flame of gas on high till the pressure builds in the cooker.
• Lower the flame and cook for 10min.
• Switch off the gas and let the pressure in the cooker subside.
• Remove the pulav in a rice serving plate.
• Garnish with coriander leaves, ring lets of onion and tomatoes or by onion slices fried to golden brown color.

Yummy chicken pulav is ready to be eaten with thick curd/raita, salad, and pickle/chutney and of course papad.

http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2012/07/pahari-kheere-ka-raita-cucumber-and.html

http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2012/06/mango-pickle-north-indian-style.html

http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2012/06/tangy-mango-pickle-maharashra-style.html

http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2012/06/spicy-mixed-vegetable-pickle-less-oily.html

http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2012/06/hariyali-chutney-raw-mango-chutney.html

http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2011/10/green-coriander-and-mint-chutney.html

Tips:

• Wash the chicken properly. If possible by rubbing some lemon juice on the chicken.
• Take thick curd for making marinade.
• The above proportion of water is for Basmati rice, the requirement of water may change with the quality of rice.
• Best results are obtained with Basmati rice.

Suggested Variations:

• Saffola rice is a healthy less starchy rice so it can be taken instead of basmati rice. 
• Ghee can be replaced by olive oil. 

Vegetable Pulav (Rice cooked with vegetables)

Vegetable Pulav

Vegetable pulav is a complete food by itself. Rice when cooked with lots of vegetables makes it very attractive and colorful in appearance. It is a real fun in our family when pulav is being made as my husband loves making pulav for the family, and the minutest details right from the amount of vegetable to cutting them to appropriate size and so on, he looks himself where as I have a fields day and get to enjoy the vegetable pulav without doing any work.!!

Preparation Time: 20min.

Cooking Time: 30min.

Servings: Four large servings

Ingredients required for making Vegetable Pulav:

• 200gm. Rice
• 50gm. French Beans
• 50gm. Carrot
• 2 Medium size Potatoes. (optional)
• 50 – 75gm. Nutrela (soya nuggets, optional)
• 2 medium size Tomatoes
• 50-75gm. Onions
• 1/2 Tea spoon Turmeric Powder
• 3-4 Cloves.
• 1 black cardamom
• 2 Bay leaves
• 2-3cm. cinnamon stick
• 5gm. Garam Masala(1 tea spoon approx..)
• 50gm. Ginger- Garlic paste (2-3 tea spoon approx..)
• Salt to taste
• 25ml. Ghee / cooking oil
• Water

Directions to prepare Vegetable Pulav:

• Clean and wash rice
• Soak the washed rice in 250ml. water
• Soak Nutrela for 30min. in water

.

Soaked Nutrela

• Wash and dry all vegetables.
• Cut beans, carrots, into 3-4cm. long thin pieces.

Carrot and French beans cut for Pulav

• Cut onions to thin long pieces.

Onions cut length wise for Pulav

• Cut Tomatoes to pieces.

Tomatoes for pulav

• Take 10ml. Ghee/oil in a pressure cooker and heat it on high flame.
• When the ghee/oil is smoking hot reduce the flame.
• Squeeze water from soaked Nutrela and shallow fry them in oil/ghee.

Carrot, French beans and soaked squeezed nutrela

• Remove Nutrela when they become golden brown and keep aside.
• Add remaining 15ml. of ghee/oil and heat.
• Add bay leaves, cloves, black cardamom and cinnamon stick.
• Cloves will start spluttering and wonderful smell of spices will start coming.
• Add Onion and cook on low flame till they become transparent
• Add Ginger-garlic paste and cook for 2 min. with regular stirring.
• Add Potatoes and cook for 2-3 min. with regular stirring..
• Add beans, carrots and cook for 2-3min. with regular stirring.
• Add tomatoes and cook they become soft.
• Add shallow fried Nutrela and mix

.

All vegetables and soaked fried nutrela being cooked

• Drain the soaked rice and keep the water aside.
• Add rice to the cooker and mix with gentle stirring so as the rice, vegetable, spices mixture becomes homogeneous.

Soaked rice added to the vegetable mixture

• Add turmeric powder, salt, garam masala , red chili powder and mix.

Salt, Turmeric powder, Garam masala and Red chili powder added to rice and vegetables

Spices mixed to rice and vegetable mixture

• Add the water kept aside after draining the rice.

Water added to rice, vegetable and spices mixture

• Mix gently.
• Close the lid of cooker and put the flame on high.
• When the pressure is built in the cooker reduce the flame to low and cook for 5 min.
• Switch off the gas and allow the pressure in the cooker to subside.
• Open the cooker and get the first look and wonderful smell of vegetable pulav.

Vegetable Pulav

Take it out on a serving dish and serve with curd/raita, pickle

http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2012/06/mango-pickle-north-indian-style.html

http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2012/06/tangy-mango-pickle-maharashra-style.html

 http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2012/06/spicy-mixed-vegetable-pickle-less-oily.html
 / chutney  http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2011/10/green-coriander-and-mint-chutney.html, salad and roasted papad.
I love eating this pulav with Ghee and pickle.

Vegetable Pulav with Curd, Coriander chutney, Salad and Papad

Tips:-

• Those who do not take onions, garlic can omit it and instead replace onions, garlic with cumin seeds.
• The rice used in the above recipe is Dulhan basmati rice, the requirement of water may vary little with different variety of rice.
• While washing basmati rice wash them in a sieve with running water.
• Do not rub rice with hands as the flavor goes off with vigorous washing.
• If you like spicy food then you can add red chili powder to you taste.
• Do not release he pressure from cooker after switching off the gas let it subside by itself, the flavor of spices will get seeped in rice nicely.

Suggested Variations:

• Cauliflower, Broccoli,Cottage cheese can be also be put in pulav.
• Fresh Peas added to the pulav gives it a very good flavor and color.
• Badi can be fried and added instead of nutrela.

Fried Badi

• Pulav tastes best with basmati rice, but you can choose rice as per your choice.
• For those who for any reason like less oil, can reduce the amount of ghee/oil as per the requirement.

Matar Pulav( Rice with Green Peas)

Matar Pulav

Peas have such lovely green color and sweet taste and when cooked with rice the whole appearance and of rice becomes too tempting to resist.  It is a very simple dish to cook but amazing in taste. In Northern India it is a preferred dish of rice in winters as lots of fresh green peas are available in winters. Innovation in the kitchen is every mothers forte, who has to pack the lunch box for the school going children.I used to get my reward when my children used to come grinning happily from school with every grain of the packed food polished off. Matar pulav is very convenient to keep in lunch box with pickle /chutney.

                         

Preparation Time: 10min.

Cooking Time:  30min.

Servings: Makes three large servings.

Ingredients required for Matar Pulav:

• 150gm. Rice
•  250gm. Fresh peas removed from pea pods

Peas

• 1 Tea spoon Cumin seeds Jeera (cumin seeds)
• 1-2 Bay leaves

Condiments for Matar Pulav

• 4-5 Black Pepper pods
•  1 Black cardamon
• 1/2Inch Cinnamon stick
• 3-4 Cloves
• 1/2 Tea spoon Salt (Or to taste)
• 5ml. Ghee/ cooking oil
• Water

Directions for Making Matar Pulav

• Wash rice and soak it in 150ml. water.
• Take soaked rice and cook it in a pan with large amount of water till the rice grain are almost done.
• Drain all water and if the grains are sticking to each other pour water to remove excess starch and allow all water to drain off.

Boiled rice

• Take ghee/ oil in wok and heat on high flame.

Oil being heated in wok

• When ghee/oil is hot add jeera and bay leaves,cinnamon,cloves,pepper.

Bay leaves,cloves,Black cumin,Pepper cinnamon added to hot oil

• When the seedssplutters before it starts getting dark brown add peas and stir for 2min.

Peas added when the cloves and other seeds splutter

Peas mixed with in oil and spices

• Lower the flame and add drained boiled rice. 

Boile rice added to oil, spices and peas

• Add salt,turmeric powder,red chili powder.

Turmeric,Red chili powder,salt added to rice and matar

• Mix nicely and gently.

All spices mixed with rice and matar

• Cover and cook for 5 min. on low flame, with occasional stirring.

Rice and matar with spices being cooked on low flame

• Hot Matar pulav with beautiful yellow and green color is ready to be served.

Delicious Matar Pulav ready to be served

Matar Pulav

 Matar pulav goes best with curd/raita, pickle/chutney. Dal or any gravy is not really required as it is a complete dish by itself. 

http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2012/06/mango-pickle-north-indian-style.html

http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2012/06/tangy-mango-pickle-maharashra-style.html

http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2012/06/spicy-mixed-vegetable-pickle-less-oily.html

http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2012/06/hariyali-chutney-raw-mango-chutney.html

http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2011/10/green-coriander-and-mint-chutney.html

   Tips:

• While boiling rice in pan take excess water which can be drained once the rice is cooked.
• Take thick bottom pan to boil rice.
• Do not over cook peas. They will loose color,flavor and taste.
• If you are uncomfortable in boiling rice in pan pressure cook and then wash in flowing water to remove excess starch so that the grains of rice do not stick to each other.

Suggested Variations:

• A quicker version:-
             Quick fix way of making this pulav is add peas, jeera, cinnamon,cloves,bay leaves,turmeric,red chili powder salt ghee/ oil, water to soaked rice and cook in the pressure cooker. Pulav will be ready in 5 min.
• If fresh peas (matar) are not available preserved green peas can be used.
• While boiling rice few pieces of lemon grass can be added.It gives wonderful flavor to the rice.
• Few drops of lemon juice can be added and mixed to the Pulav just before removing from gas. It will change the color of pulav to lemony yellow color.