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food talk
Priceless
pulao
The warm mewa pulao is
perfect to beat the winter chill, says
Pushpesh Pant
 THERE
are pulaos and pulaos. To begin with, there are the non-vegetarian
pulaos that can be prepared with mutton or chicken or even fish and
prawn. Then there are the vegetarian delicacies that go by many names
— zeera, peas or navaratan (that translates as a mixed
seasonal vegetable pilaf.) The most exotic and expensive, of course,
is the gucchhi pulao prepared with aromatic dried morels from
the Vale of Kashmir.
There are practitioners
of the culinary craft who try to palm off vegetarian pulao as biryani
substituting kathal for flesh, fowl or fish. To be honest, one
has long been pining for
something different.
Pulao yes, but the
staple fare that has jaded the palate certainly no. Spare us, the makhana-shakhana,
khumbh and kabuli channa and please let us not confuse
the tahri or khichdi with the pulao. There are also
sweet pulaos like zarda and muzaffars, incorporating
saffron and fruits. We were delighted when recently our good friend
Rashmi Dar treated us to mewa pulao. Our other Kashmiri friends
dispute that this is an authentic recipe but we are not complaining.
The stuff is refreshingly different and tastes good. The warm pulao is
perfect for this cold and chilli weather. Dried fruits and nuts, as
everyone knows are tonic restoratives, just what the doctor prescribes
for the shishir ritu.
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chef’s
corner
Ingredients
Basmati rice (soak
in water for 30 minutes) 400 gm
Raisins 50 gm
Cashew nuts 50 gm
Almonds 50 gm
Sultanas 50 gm
Green cardamom 4-6
Green cardamom
powder ½ tsp
Lemon juice 2 tbsp
Ginger piece
(juliennes) ½ inch
Onions (fried
& golden brown) 2 tsp
Ghee/clarified
butter 2 tbsp
Onion (chopped) 2
tbsp
Garlic (paste,
strain) 1/2 tsp
Ginger (paste,
strain) 1/2 tsp
Kewra jal one tsp
A few strands of
saffron
Salt to taste
Potli masala
Black cardamom 4-5
Cloves 3-4
Cinnamon sticks (1
inch long) two
Bay leaf two
Method
To make the potli
put both the ingredients in a mortar and pound with a pestle to
break the spices, fold in a piece of muslin and secure with
enough string for it to hang over the rim of the pan. Lightly
fry the mewa in hot ghee. Remove and drain.
Boil water in pan,
add rice and cook till done nine tenths. Heat ghee in a pan, add
onions and stir over medium heat until translucent, then add the
garlic and ginger paste, stir until the moisture evaporates. Now
add the fried mewa along with the liquor, bring to a
boil, remove, add the half of lemon juice and cardamom powder.
Stir and adjust the seasoning.
Now boil six cups
of water in a pan, add green cardamom and salt, stir, add rice,
bring to a boil, reduce to medium heat, add the remaining lemon
juice and continue to boil, stirring occasionally, until
nine-tenths cooked. Drain, and keep aside.
Add the ginger
juliennes, green chillies, coriander and saffron soaked in kewra
jal on the rice. Spread the fried onions evenly, place a moist
cloth on top, cover with lid and seal with dough. Now cook until
steam starts seeping out of the dough. Remove and keep aside.
Serve hot. |
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