Gujarati Badshahi Pulao Recipe – A Rich Preparation Of Rice, Vegetables, Nuts And Spices

Baadshah in Hindi means king and as the name suggests it was prepared for the kings who ruled Gujarat. Nuts and spices like cashew nuts, almonds and saffron formed an integral part of the royal cuisine and when cooked along with a fine quality of basmati rice, it enhances the flavors of this delectable Badshahi Pulao. Course : Lunch Ingridients : 2 cups Basmati rice 1/4 cup Carrots (Gajjar) , chopped 1/4 cup Green beans (French Beans) 1 cup Cauliflower (gobi) , florets 1/4 cup Green peas (Matar) 1 cup Tomatoes , chopped 2 Onions , chopped 1 inch Ginger , chopped 3 cloves Garlic 3 Green Chillies 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric powder (Haldi) 3 Cardamom (Elaichi) Pods/Seeds 3 Cloves (Laung) 1 inch Cinnamon Stick (Dalchini) 1 Bay leaf (tej patta) 2 teaspoons Whole Black Peppercorns 2 tablespoons Whole Almonds (Badam) , sliced 2 tablespoons Cashew nuts 1/4 cup Sultana Raisins , sutana variety 4 tablespoons Ghee 1/4 cup Mint Leaves (Pudina) , chopped Salt , to taste Instructions To begin making the Gujarati Badshahi Pulao Recipe, wash and soak rice in 4 cups of water for half an hour.Steam the vegetables -  carrots, beans, florets and peas and set aside. Using the pestle and mortar, pound together the cinnamon, cloves and cardamom to a fine powder.Heat 1 tablespoon of ghee in a small pan on medium heat, roast the nuts and raisins and set aside.Make a paste of the onions, ginger, garlic and green chillies.Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of ghee on medium heat; add onion-ginger-garlic paste and sauté until they turn light golden brown in colour.Add the pounded spice powder, bay leaves, crushed peppercorns, tomatoes, turmeric powder and sauté until the tomatoes are tender and soft. Stir in the rice along with the water it was soaked in, salt, and chopped mint leaves.Allow the Badshahi Pulao mixture to come to a boil and then turn the heat to low. Cover the pan and simmer for approximately 30 minutes until the rice has absorbed all the water and cooked to the desired texture.Once cooked, turn off the heat and allow the Badshahi Pulao to rest for 15 minutes. Gently stir in the steamed vegetables, roasted nuts and serve hot.Serve the Badshahi Pulao with Gujarati Kadhi and Papad and Boondi Raita for your everyday meals.