Sultana Pulao

I have been making this pulao from a really long time. I think I had clipped this recipe from a magazine and I distinctly remember that it was a Tarla Dalal recipe. However, when I searched her site for credits, I don't find this particular recipe. I was probably in college when I had made this pulao for the first time. My best friend loved and raved about it so much, that I actually made a recipe book for her as a part of her wedding gift and added this recipe. She still calls it as "my" recipe but it really belongs to Tarlaji.

Later, I impressed my husband when I whipped up this pulao. "What's sultana?" - he had asked me while devouring. I told him how golden raisins are known as sultanas. He was thoroughly impressed by my culinary knowhow then. Well, we were newly married so it was very easy to impress each other that time!;-)

Over the years, I have made my own modifications to the original recipe depending on the ingredients available in and around the kitchen. In this process, sometimes, this pulao is even made without the golden raisins!;-)

"What's for dinner today?" - my husband asked the other day. "Sultana Pulao!" - I replied. He carefully raked the pulao on his plate with his fork, looking for those golden raisins and inquired - "Where's Sultana?". "You are talking to her!" - I replied!!!;-D

Sultana Pulao
Golden Raisins and Vegetable Pulao
Ingredients
1 cup good quality basmati, soaked for 1/2 hour, rinsed
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
1 tomato, chopped
1 tbsp. ginger-garlic paste
2 tbsp. plain yogurt
1 tbsp. coriander-cumin powder
1 tsp paprika or Kashmiri chili powder
1/2 tsp garam masala

3 cups warm water
salt to taste

Vegetables
1 1/2 cup mixed vegetables such as corn, carrot, green peas, green beans etc.
1 potato, peeled & diced
1 cup cauliflower florets

Tempering
1 tbsp. oil
1/2 tbsp. ghee
2 cloves
1" piece cinnamon
2 green cardamom
4-5 black peppercorn
1 tbsp. golden raisins

Method
1. Rinse and soak basmati for at least 1/2 hour. Drain and set aside.
2. Heat oil and ghee in a deep saucepan. Add all raisins. As they puff up, remove and drain them in a plate lined with a paper towel. Add whole spices in the same saucepan.
3. When they sizzle, add onions. Sauté till they are golden.
4. Add tomatoes. Sauté for 1 minute. Add ginger-garlic paste. Sauté for 2 minutes.
5. Add coriander-cumin powder, garam masala, paprika and yogurt. Sauté for 10 minutes.
6. Add drained basmati. Sauté for few minutes.
7. Add vegetables. Sauté for few minutes.
8. Add water and salt. Bring to boil.
9. Switch gas to low. Let it cook on medium-low heat. Cover with a lid.
10. When the pulao is cooked, garnish with golden raisins.
11. Serve with raita of your choice.

Note -
1. You can add cashews along with raisins.
2. Use old Basmati rice.



Credits
www.tarladalal.com


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