Bengali sweet polau

About the food:

This is a traditional Bengali recipe, which has an irresistible salt and sweet taste. In any typical Bengali meal, you would expect to find this dish. Serve this with any curry dish and it is absolutely delicious.

Preparation time: 30 mins
Cooking time: 30mins

Ingredients:

Basmati rice 500 gms
Ghee 5-6 tbsp
Sugar 4-5 tbsp
Cashew nuts -one handful
Raisin -one small handful
Salt to taste
Kewra water/Rose water 3 tbsp
Bayleaves 2
Whole garam masala (clove, Cinnamon & cardamom) 1 tbsp
Yellow food colour (powder/liquid) 1 teaspoon

Polau masala:

Clove 3 tbsp
Cardamom pods 3 tbsp
Cinnamon stick 4 inchs
Shah Jeera 1 tbsp
Shah Marich 1 tbsp
Nutmeg 1 whole fruit
Mace 2 tbsp

Method:

1. Preparing the masala:

Crush the nutmeg fruit in pieces. Mix all the masala ingredients together. Heat a pan and fry all of them on slow flame until they are light golden. Remove from flame and grind them finely in a grinder. Put it in an airtight container and reserve.

2. Soak the raisins in warm water for about an hour or until they are swollen. Drain the raisins. Heat a pan. Add 1 tbsp of ghee.Fry the raisins and the cashew nuts till they are lightly golden. Set it aside in a bowl.

3.Mix the yellow colouring agent in a small amount of water and mix it well.

4.Wash and drain the rice. Measure the rice in cup. Add double amount of water to the rice. Say, if you take 1 cup rice, you should add 2 cups of water. This measurement is extremely important.

5. Heat a pan. Add 4 tbsp of ghee and let it melt. Add the whole garam masala and the bayleaves to the pan. Let them brown and turn the flame off. Pour this in the rice container, taking care as it might split. Add sugar, salt, the colour and the kewra water and mix them well.

6. a) For microwave cooking:
Put the above mixture in the microwave and cook for 15-20 mins on 850 watts/ high power.

b) For cooking on the hob:
Cover the rice and start cooking it over a medium flame. Reduce the flame when the water boils. Keep a close watch until all the water dries. Take care the rice does not stick to container base.

The rice should be soft, and yet they should not stick to each other. Remove the rice immediately to the another container as they are done, otherwise heat will melt the rice at the bottom of the container. Spread the rice lightly on a flat container. If needed, use more than one container.

7. Arrange a layer of the rice on the serving tray. sprinkle 1 tbsp of the polau masala and mix them well with the rice. Spread another layer, and repeat mixing the masala.

8. Garnish the rice top with the fried cashew and raisins and serve hot.