Kashmiri polao (about 8 people)

 Kashmiri polao (about 8 people)

Ingredients:

(a) Two and a half cups of long thin rice

(b) 1/3 cup of ghee or butter

(c) Cardamom five cinnamon two to three pieces

(d) Clove

(e) Jira One teaspoon

(f) Stock of vegetables 5 cups or plain water

(g) Salt as per required taste

(h) Nuts 1/4 cup crushed

(i) cashew nuts 1/4 cup 

(j) Onions cut in rings (fried)

Method:

First: Wash the rice properly and then let it soak in cold water for 30 mins. Now drain the water and dry up the rice.

Second: Now take a pot or cauldron and add ghee or butter and heat it properly. Then put Cardamoms cinnamon and clove and phoron (also called panch phoran or paanch phoron) , once the color of these spices turns to light almond or borwnish, add the rice which was soaked in water and dried up.

Third: Cook the rice until it turns clear in color, Keep an eye onthe rice as it has a tendency to stick to the utensil so it needs to be stirred regularly to prevent it from sticking to the utensil.

Fourth: When the rice is cooked, i.e. the color of the rice is clear, then add the vegetable stock or water and some salt as per taste.  As the water starts boiling then cover the pot and simmer down the flames of the oven.

Fifth: When the water gets dried up in the pot, check the rice whether it is cooked by pressing a single grain of rice. Then put the rice on a plate and serve kashmiri polao.