Basanti pulao recipe: Here's how to make this yummy sweet Bengali dish in easy steps

Bengali pulao is sweet in taste and light yellow in colour. It is very popular and prepared on special occasions like in the marriage ceremony, rice ceremony or even for family gatherings. This pulao is cooked with special rice called Gobindobhog rice, which is only available in West Bengal. Here is the recipe of how to prepare the sweet and finger-licking dish.

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Ingredients to cook Basanti Pulao

• 2 cups Gobindobhog or basmati rice 
• Ghee or butter
• ½ tablespoon of turmeric powder
• Garam masala powder or 1 dry roasted cinnamon, 2 cardamoms, 3-4 cloves
• 2 tablespoon of oil
• ½ cup of cashew nuts or raisin
• 1 or 2 bay leaf
• Ginger – sliced or grated
• 4 tablespoon of sugar
• Water as required
• 1 tablespoon of rose water

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Preparation of Bengali Basanti Pulao

• Take the 2 cups of gobindobhog rice and clean it. Do not rub the rice otherwise, it will break. Strain out the water completely. (This rice is traditionally cooked by gobindobhog rice, so if this rice is not available then you can use any other small grain rice)
• Keep the rice aside and let it dry for 20-25 minutes.
• After that add the ghee, 1/2 tablespoon turmeric, ½ tablespoon of salt, garam masala to rice and mix everything gently. 
• Leave the marinated rice for 1 hour.
• After an hour, add oil in the pan or kadhai, heat the oil
• Add the raisins and cashews in it and fry them till they are golden brown.
• Take them out and keep it aside.
• Add the bay leaves and the sliced or grated ginger in the oil. Then add the marinated rice in it and fry everything for 4-5 minutes.
• Add the sugar, raisins, cashews and pour 3-4 cups of water (as required).
• Cover the pan or the kadhai with a lid. Let the pulao cook perfectly for 15 minutes.
• After the rice is fully cooked you can add ghee and rose water to enrich the pulao.
• Wait to 4-5 minutes let everything settles in pulao and then serve.

IMAGE SOURCE: SHUTTERSTOCK

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