Bengali Fried Rice

We call this vegetable pulao Fried Rice in our home. I am sure lots of Bengalis will relate to this recipe as it’s such a popular dish during any occasions or family gatherings. The sweet and salty taste of this pulao is the main attraction of this dish.

As we grew older, there were three rice preparations we could think of...Biryani, Basanti Pulao and this fried rice. My mother prepares fried rice in a pressure cooker but my mother-in-law does this in a kadai. I find the later method to be easier and also....pressure cooks takes away the lively green colour of the vegetables which I don’t like. Try to make this dish with ghee as ghee gives this fried rice the perfect flavour and it keeps the rice non-sticky.

Bengali Fried Rice / Pure Vegetarian Vegetable Pulao

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 and ½ cup fine Gobindobhog Rice / Basmati rice

2 medium carrots – chopped lengthwise

1 cup of small cauliflower florets

A handful of green peas

A handful of green beans – crosscut

A handful of cashew nuts – halves

12-15 golden raisins

1 inch ginger – finely minced

2-3 tbsp pure ghee

2 medium cinnamon stick

2 medium bay leaves

4 green cardamoms

3 cloves

1-2 tbsp sugar

 ½ tsp salt

1 tsp homemade garam masala powder

Method:

Wash and rinse the rice until clear water runs out. Then soak the rice in water for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes drain the water put the rice in a saucepan / handi / heavy bottomed pan. Add 4 and ½ cups of water and cook the rice until it is almost cooked i.e. the rice is soft but when squished between the fingers it requires a little pressure.

Drain the water and keep the rice in a colander.

Take a pan / kadai and heat the ghee in it.

Add the cashew nuts and raisins in it.

Sauté the cashew nuts and raisins until the cashew nuts become golden and the raisins become puffed.

Take out the cashew nuts and raisins from the kadai and keep aside.

Now add the cinnamon sticks, green cardamoms, cloves and bay leaves.

Sauté the whole spices for half a minute or until the ghee becomes aromatic.

Add the cauliflower florets and sprinkle some salt over them.

Cook them until they become lightly golden.

Now add the other veggies and sprinkle a little more salt.

Cook them for 3-5 minutes or until the veggies become soft but still have that crunch in them.

Add the sugar and sauté until the sugar melts. Use 2 tbso sugar if you want the pulao to be sweeter or else use less.

Add the minced ginger and mix with the veggies.

Now take the rice in small portions and add them to the kadai.

Put the flame on high and mix the rice with the veggies until they are well mixed with the veggies and ghee.

When that part is done, take another portion and mix it with the rest of the rice and veggies. Follow this process until all the rice is finished.

Sprinkle the garam masala powder and the fried cashew nuts and raisins over the rice and put off the flame.

Serve hot with mutton kosha or a spicy chicken curry.