Kashmiri Pulao - a sophisticatedly aromatic & colourful rice dish

Kashmiri Pulao

Kashmiri Pulav image

This vegetarian Kashmiri’s dish is the easiest and most delicious way to close your eyes and, in a bite, pretend you are in the North of India. Aromatic, sweet and mild this recipe takes only a few ingredients (not including all the essential and non negotiable spices and herbs) and it’s ready to be served in less than 1 hour.

Kashmiri Pulao or Kashmiri Pallao, perfectly translates the influences from the region by combining flavours, colors and also its variety of dried fruits and nuts. Commonly garnished with freshly cut fruits like pomegranate, apple, pineapple and grapes, this dish is able to turn any kind of ordinary meal into a super special one, and not to mention, impress family and friends.

Jammu and Kashmiri own an ancient baggage when it comes to cuisine traditions and knowledge towards ingredients. History mentions that this is the place with the highest level of cooking expertise in India, since it has been influenced by all the cultures around it.

Although the word Pulao, or Pulla in Sanskrit, means rice and meat, vegetarian versions from the dish have also became an important option to those that chose to follow a plant based diet for whatever reasons.

It is recommended using only high quality long grain basmati rice and for a very flavoured and aromatic experience, cooking it on milk, water and saffron. Most people prefer soaking saffron in milk before adding it to the rice, so do soaking the rice in water for 30 minutes before starting the whole process.

Servings: 4 People

2 cups Basmati Rice
4 tsp Ghee
2 Small Onions
6 tsp Milk
½ tsp Saffron
10 Almonds
12 Cashew Nuts
8 Walnuts
1 tsp Raisins
2 cups Water
½ tsp Sugar (If needed)
1 tsp Fennel Seeds
2 Black Cardamom
3 Green Cardamom
2 Bay Leaves
1 tsp Caraway Seeds
1 Small Cinnamon
6 Cloves
1 tsp Dry Ginger Powder
¾ cup Chosen Fruits

Preparation steps

Add the saffron into the warmed milk and set it aside.
In a pan add the ghee and when it gets warm, the nuts. Switch off the flames when the nuts get golden, add the raisins. Transfer them to another bowl and then set aside.
Add the sliced onions in the pan and heat them until it gets soft and golden. Transfer to another bowl and set aside as well.

Dish steps

Add the dry spices and seeds and carefully heat them up. We do not want them to get burned.
Remove the rice from the water it was soaked in, throw away the water and then transfer the rice into the pan with the ghee and a pinch of salt.
Add the mix of milk and saffron that it was previously set aside. And cook it to its fullest while covered until the water has almost evaporated.
Fluff the rice up and make sure it does not stick to each other.
Transfer it to a serving bowl and garnish with the fried nuts, raisins and onions that were previously set aside, adding the chosen freshly cut fruits chosen as well.