Kashmiri Pulav and Tadka dal

The Kashmiri Pulav what we see in restaurants have so many fresh fruits and dry fruits and are sweetish in taste as well. But in 2011, when we went to Kashmir, The care taker of our boat house made this wonderful Pulav which he served with tadka dal. That Pulav neither had fresh fruits nor so many dry fruits and it was not that sweet. It had raw yellow fresh dates, coconut chunks, cashew and raisins. My family liked this very much and wanted to note down the recipe to try out. When I asked for the same, our care taker Mahdha kaka was very happy to share his recipe and this week I tried this recipe and here we go for detailed account.

For Pulav:

Ingredients:

Basmati rice – 3 cups

Ghee – 150 Gms

Onion – 2 (sliced)

Ginger garlic paste – 1 tbl sp

Shahi jeera- 1 tsp

Bay leaf – 1

Salt

Saffron – 7 -8 strings

Hot milk – ¼ cup

Yellow dates, Raisins, cashew and dry coconut bits – as you wish.

Method:

• At first wash rice, soak for 10 min and drain the water and keep aside.
• Soak saffron in hot milk and keep aside.
• Now take one thick bottomed pan, put little ghee, fry cashew, raisin, coconut slices and dates one by one and keep aside.
• Now fry half of the onion in to dark brown and keep aside.
• Pour remaining ghee, put Shahi jeera, bay leaf then remaining sliced onion and fry for a while. When it becomes brown add ginger garlic paste and fry until raw smell vanishes.
• Add drained rice, fry for a while.
• Now add 6 cups of water, salt and cook this rice by closing the lid and keeping it in a simmer.
• When rice is almost done, add soaked saffron with milk, fried onion, dates, raisins and cashew.
• Mix everything and keep it in a fire for little more time until all the water evaporates or until rice is done.
• Enjoy this Kashmiri Pulav with Tadka dal.

Tadka dal:

Ingredients:

Toor dal – ½ cup

Masoor dal – ½ cup

Ghee – 1 tbl sp

Cumin – 1tsp

Turmeric – ½ tsp

Onion – 1 small

Garlic – 4 to 5 cloves

Ginger – ½ inch

Tomato – 1 big

Dhaniya powder – 1 tsp

Jeera powder – 1 tsp

Red chilli powder – 1 tsp

Salt

To Garnish – Chopped coriander, sliced garlic – 3 clove, butter – ½ tbl sp

Method:

-Wash both the dals, cook with sufficient water.

– Take chopped onion, garlic and ginger in a small mixer jar and make rough paste and keep aside.

– grind tomato as well and keep aside.

-Now take one kadai, put ghee. When it is hot add jeera then ground onion mixture, turmeric and fry until it is light brown.

-Now add ground tomato and fry this until raw smell vanishes and add Dhaniya, jeera and red chilli powders.

– Add cooked dal, salt and sufficient water. Boil.

-Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

-Fry chopped garlic in little butter and add this into dal.

Enjoy this Dal with Kashmiri Pulav.