Basanti Pulao | Pilau rice recipe | Bengali Mishti Pulao
Author: Rumki Paul
Course: Main
Cuisine: Bengali
Preparation Time:
Cooking time:
Total time:
Servings: 4-5 Persons
Basanti Pulao is a pure Bengali delicacy and one of the most famous pilau rice recipe in East India and Bangladesh. It is a fragrant sweet rice dish which is also known as Mishti Pulao. It is the combination of rice with some whole spices, ground spice, ginger paste and dry fruits and its prepared in Ghee (Clarified Butter). It is mostly served with Chicken Curry in ceremonies and for festive veg days it is accompanied with Chanar Dalna or Phulkofir Dalna.
What is Gobindo bhog Chaal (Rice)?
- Gobindo Bhog Chaal (Rice) is very famous in West Bengal. In Bengal, this rice is specially used in preparing Kheer and Pulao.
- It is very tiny grained aromatic white Rice. It is mostly cultivated in few districts of West Bengal.
Basanti Pulao – its popularity
- It is served in Bengal in almost every marriage and Annaprasan ceremony.
- In fact, in many places, it is also served as Bhog er Prasad in Puja festivals and is paired up with any veg side dish.
- Normally, in a Bong house any special occasion like birthday or marriage anniversary is celebrated with Basanti Pulao and Kosha Mangsho.
- In any reputed Bengali Restaurant, it is a ritual to have this asset Rice Dish in their Menu Card.
- All in all, any Bong festival or special occasion is incomplete without Basanti Pulao.
Basanti Pulao – Utensils used to prepare
- Many people prepared it in Pressure Cooker.
- Many people use Dekchis to prepare it.
- Kadai or pan with lid can also be used to prepare it.
How to make Basanti Pulao?
Ingredients:
- 3 cups of Basmati rice
- 1 ½ tablespoons Ginger paste
- 4-5 Cardamoms
- 6-7 Cloves
- 2 Bay leaves
- Cinnamon Stick, 2 inches
- 3 tablespoons Raisins
- 4 tablespoons Cashew nuts
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric powder
- ¼ teaspoon Cardamom powder
- 1/6 teaspoon Cinnamon powder
- 15 teaspoons Sugar
- 3 teaspoons Salt
- 3 tablespoons Ghee (Clarified Butter) for cooking
- 5 and ½ cups of Water for cooking
Instructions:
- Wash the Basmati rice and soak it in water for 30 minutes.
- Strain the water and keep it aside.
- Add 2 tablespoons of Ghee into the pan and let it melt.
- Add Cashew nuts, Raisins into the pan.
- Fry them in medium flame for a minute and keep them aside on a plate.
- Add another tablespoon of Ghee into the same pan and let it melt.
- Add Bay leaves, Cinnamon stick, Cardamoms, Cloves and let them crackle.
- Put the flame in lowest and add Ginger paste.
- Give a quick stir and cover the pan with lid or splatter guard immediately.
Note: Its always better to use splatter guard or cover during the time of cooking the Ginger paste. Because the paste got the tendency to splatter initially during the time of cooking.
- After a minute take off the splatter guard and stir the ingredients nicely.
- Cook the Ginger paste until its raw smell goes away.
- Add Turmeric powder and give a nice mix.
- Add Water into the pan and put the flame in high.
- Add Salt and Sugar into the water and stir well.
- When the water simmers, put the flame in low.
- Add Cinnamon powder and Cardamom powder into the water and mix nicely.
- Add the fried dry fruits (Step 5) into the pan.
- Add the soaked rice (Step 2) into the pan and give a gentle stir.
Tip: Basmati rice is very delicate. Over mixing can break the rice. Always handle the rice with light hands.
- Put on the lid of the pan and put the flame in medium high for 5 minutes.
- Stir the rice very gently once or twice and cover the pan again.
- Cook them in lowest flame for 8-10 minutes.Note: The duration of cooking may vary due to quantity, quality of rice and temperature of the hob. Always check the rice before switching off the flame.
- Switch off the flame and put the pan down.
Tip: After 10-15 minutes take off the lid and fluff the rice delicately with the help of a fork. Otherwise the rice may stick to each other when it will cool down.
Serving Instruction
5 comments
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