Pulao

Ingredients

• 1 cup Basmati Rice - or any type of long-grain rice

• 2 cups hot water

• 1 bay leaf/tejpatta

• 1 long cinnamon stick

• 3 cloves

• 2 green cardamom

• 1/4 small onion - thinly sliced

• 1 tsp salt or according to taste

• 3 tsp ghee

• A few drops of kewra water - optional

Instructions:

1. Wash and clean rice in water about 3 to 4 times and soak in warm water for 30 mins. 

2. Heat ghee in a pot on medium flame. Add bay leaf, cinnamon stick, cardamom cloves and let them change color and release aroma.

3. Add the onions to the ghee and fry until they turn brown.

4. Now lower the flame and remove the onions from the pot and keep it aside for later.

5. Measure and add 2 cups of water to the pot.

6. Add salt and increase the flame to high. cover with lid and let it come to a boil.

7. Drain the water from the soaked rice and add it to the pot.

8. Now cover with lid and boil on high flame for 2 mins.

9. After 2 mins reduce the flame to low and simmer on the lowest flame for 15 mins.

10. Now switch off the flame and let it rest for 2 mins.

11. Open the lid now and add browned onions and kewra water.

12. Slightly fluff up the rice with a fork for a few times. This will help the rice not to stick to each other at the bottom. (If you feel your pulao rice to be dry and sticky then drizzle more ghee at this step if desired)

13. Cover with lid and rest it for 2 mins again before serving to get the pulao infused with sweet fragrance of caramelized onions and kewra water.

Recipe Notes

• If you are in a hurry and haven't soaked your rice then add 2 tbsp of extra water along with 2 cups.

Serve it with chicken curry / chicken fries.