Matar Pulao (Yellow Rice with Peas)

Photo Courtesy: Dr. Debarshi Chatterji

Recipe Courtesy: Mamma

Hello Foodies! I am back from my India vacation and ready to share another recipe with you. Yes, I did learn some amazing recipes from my mom and I am going to start this yummy food journey with a recipe that I learnt long back from her. Now before we move on, let me tell you a few things about my trip.

Vacation for me means, spending quality time with my parents and sister and eating food prepared by my mom. This time my sister came to meet me in Delhi (where I landed) and amidst my jet lag and busy schedule we still found time to explore a few places and eat some good food. However, even the most expensive Mughlai dishes can never compare to the food prepared by my mom. I have to tell you that she never uses any fancy recipes or ingredients and yet her dishes taste out of this world! This time she prepared Matar Paneer, Shukto, Panch Mishuli Dal (Mixed lentils), Alu Potol er Torkari, Mung Daler Bhate along with all her special items – delicious fish curries, mixed vegetables and varieties of Parathas and Torkaris. She also prepared different types of fritters and stuffed Kachoris. My dad bought all sorts of Namkeens and sweets for me and my sister took me to all the new restaurants of our hometown. I am sure anyone who has seen my recent pics will agree that I ate a lot of yummy food during my trip.

Alright! I am coming back to the Matar Pulao now. This Pulao is a must have in my parent’s home on Saraswati puja. Prepared with just a hint of turmeric powder, this yellow Pulao can be enjoyed with any curry. My mom usually prepares this as part of the bhog (food items offered to God/ Goddess during prayer) along with a delicious Paneer Alu curry, papad, Payesh, chutney, Luchi and a dry torkari of Alu kopi. Everyone participates in the arrangements of Puja and once the praying part is over, we divide and share these heavenly dishes amongst family members and friends, while a portion of it is kept aside for donation. Ah! all these wonderful memories make me smile. If I close my eyes right now and imagine that day, I would see my mom in the thakurer ghor (praying room) doing all the necessary arrangements, the whole house filled with the fragrance of aromatic incenses and a mixed scent of sweets, flowers and food while my sister and I would be giggling happily and getting ready for the Puja. This day used to be really special to me as a kid because we never had to do any studies on that day and now I am going to tell you why:

Saraswati is a Hindu goddess of knowledge, music, art, wisdom and learning. Her color is yellow and hence to celebrate Saraswati puja we wear yellow clothes and eat yellow colored foods like Khichuri or yellow Pulao.  It is also interesting to know here that on Saraswati puja children are encouraged to indulge in other fields of knowledge like painting and music. There are often musicals and dramas performed on this day. After a whole day of fun filled activities the kids are too tired to study and hence it has been a tradition to let the kids be kids on this special day. No one asks them to study and the kids enjoy this day to the fullest. I think this also teaches us an important lesson, there are other forms of knowledge in this world and if everyone is an intellectual then who will play Beethoven’s symphony or who will maintain the legacy left by Michelangelo? I think every person is different and this day gives everyone an opportunity to find and explore that artistic side of themselves. 

(Saraswati Puja at our Kansas City Bengali Association, notice the yellow color)

Coming back to the Pulao, I have cooked this dozens of times and I must say this is my specialty. I like my Pulao rice a little soft in texture than being al dente or the way they are mostly served in restaurants. Preparing Pulao can be a little tricky as the amount of water and the cooking time should be measured carefully. Remember, Pulao is very different than a gumbo or sticky rice as each grain of Pulao rice is separate and fluffy. How to do this? I achieve the perfect texture of the Pulao by frying the uncooked drained rice in oil and ghee until the grains turn golden red in color. Once that is done, I add the water and voila! Perfect Pulao every time.

This Pulao was my favorite while living in Delhi, I used to prepare this for bhog during Durga Pooja and Diwali. This was also my favorite weekend lunch and why not? Its aromatic and wonderfully balanced flavor is indeed magic. This goes really well with any curry or even with some achar (Indian pickles). Try this over the weekend and if you are planning to have guests over don’t forget to serve it with some Indian Salad.

Bon Appetit!

Ingredients:

• Basmati rice -1 ½ cup, washed and soaked in water
• Water - 3 cups (to cook the Pulao, use normal tap water)
• Garam Masala – about ¼ teaspoon
• Salt – about ½ teaspoon (or as per taste)
• Green Cardamom - 2 to 3 
• Cumin Seeds – ½ teaspoon 
• Bay Leaf – 1
• Cinnamon - 1 inch 
• Cloves -3-4
• Black Cardamom – 1 - 2
• Mace - 1 single strand
• Oil – 2 tablespoons 
• Ghee - 2 tablespoons 
• Peas – ½ and ¼ cups
• Turmeric Powder – ¼ teaspoon

Directions:

• Heat a wok over high heat.
• Add the Ghee and Oil in it.
• Add all the whole spices (Green Cardamom, Cumin Seeds, Bay Leaf, Cinnamon, Cloves, Black Cardamom and Mace) in it.

• Fry for about 15 seconds then add the drained rice.

• Fry till the rice turns golden – golden red in color.
• Add the Peas and Turmeric Powder, mix well.

• Add the water, the wok is hot so the water will instantly start to boil, mix and cover. Reduce the heat to low and allow it to cook for 10 minutes. (Tip: Do not take off the cover while the rice is cooking. This will let out the steam and change the cooking time).
• Add the Garam Masala and Salt, mix well and cover. Allow it to cook for another 7-10 minutes.

• Press a grain of rice under your spatula to check if it has been cooked through. (Tip: When properly cooked, each grain of the rice will be tender but still hold its shape, and no longer crunchy. Since it has been fried before cooking, it will not stick together. The Pulao should be fluffy so if it isn’t, that means you have overcooked the Pulao but don’t worry it will still taste amazing).
• Turn off the heat and fluff the rice (move around the rice in the wok carefully) with a spatula. This will dry the extra water and bring a beautiful texture.
• Serve hot with a yummy curry of your choice.

 

Recommended Reading:

• Paneer Alu Pulao (Rice with Fresh Cheese and Potato)
• When my Mom cooks for me (Yay!)
• Moonger Daler Khichuri (One Pot dish with rice, lentils and vegetables)
• Chaler Payesh (Bengali style Rice Pudding)
• Luchi – Deep Fried Puffed Bread 
• Alu Kopir Torkari (Potatoes with Cauliflower Stir Fry/ Curry) 
• Indian Salad
• Make Homemade Ghee from Spoiled Cream
• Chanar Dalna (Bengali recipe: Fresh Cheese and Potato Curry)
• Shahi Pulao (Indian Jeweled Rice)
• Debarshi’s Chicken Tikka Biryani
• Dal Makhani (Creamy Urad Dal/ Black Lentils with Rajma/ Kidney Beans)