Rice Dishes Recipes - Benares-style Pulao Rice Recipe

Ingredients

• 450g/2 cups basmati rice

• 2.8l/12 cups water

• 45ml/3 tbsp oil

• salt

• 1 onion, chopped

• 5 cloves garlic, crushed

• 1cm/1/2 in ginger root, grated

• 1 cinnamon stick

• seeds from 5 cardamom pods

• 8 cloves

• 2.5ml/1/2 tsp black peppercorns

• 2 bay leaves

• 1 small cauliflower, cut into florets

• 225g/8 oz peas

• 2.5ml/1/2 tsp ground turmeric

• 1.5ml/1/4 tsp ground red chili

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Method:

1. Boil the rice and water in a large pan with 15ml/1 tbsp of oil and pinch of salt over a medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rice is three-quarters cooked. Drain and set aside. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6. Heat the remaining oil and fry the onion, garlic and ginger over a medium heat until browned.

2. Add the cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, peppercorns and bay leaves and fry for 2 minutes, stirring. Stir in the cauliflower, peas, turmeric, chilies and a little more salt. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Spread the cooked rice in a large casserole dish and stir in the cauliflower mixture.

3. Cover tightly with foil and the lid. Reduce the oven temperature to 150C/300F/gas mark 2 and bake in the oven for 5-7 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave in the oven for 5 minutes. Serve hot with mango chutney, curry and papadums.