Fragrant basmati rice cooked with ghee, sugar, saffron, whole spices and raisins into a sweet golden rice preparation — the Bengali festival pulao served at Durga Puja, weddings and celebrations. The sugar is added while the rice is cooking, not before.
Ingredients
2 cups basmati rice — washed and soaked 30 minutes
3 tbsp ghee
4 green cardamom — crushed
4 cloves
1 inch cinnamon
2 bay leaf
3.5 cups water
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp saffron soaked in 3 tbsp warm milk
2 tbsp raisin
2 tbsp cashews — fried in 1 tsp ghee until golden
a pinch of salt
Method
Fry cashews: Heat 1 tsp ghee in a small pan. Fry cashews until golden. Remove and keep for garnish.
Heat ghee and add whole spices: Heat 3 tbsp ghee in a heavy pot. Add crushed cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and bay leaves. Sizzle 20 seconds.
Add drained rice: Add the washed, drained basmati rice. Stir gently for 2 minutes — each grain coats with the spiced ghee.
Add water, saffron and a pinch of salt: Add 3.5 cups water and saffron milk. Add a pinch of salt. Bring to a full boil.
Cook covered on lowest heat: Once boiling, reduce to the absolute lowest heat. Cover tightly. Cook 15 minutes.
Add sugar mid-cook: After 15 minutes, open the lid. The rice is partially cooked with some water remaining. Add the sugar over the surface of the rice. Cover again immediately. Cook 5 more minutes on the lowest heat. The sugar dissolves in the remaining water and the rice absorbs the sweetened liquid.
Rest covered: Turn off heat. Rest covered 5 minutes.
Add raisins: Open lid. Scatter raisins over the surface. They will plump from the residual steam.
Fluff gently: Fluff with a fork — lifting rather than stirring.
Garnish and serve: Top with golden fried cashews. Serve warm alongside the main course of a Bengali celebration meal.
Note: Mishti Pulao (mishti = sweet in Bengali) is specifically the Bengali version of sweet rice — distinguished by the addition of sugar mid-cooking rather than before, which produces a more evenly sweet rice. Served at Durga Puja community meals (bhog), weddings and in the Bengali restaurant tradition as an accompaniment to fish or meat courses. The slight sweetness against the savoury main course is specifically a Bengali flavour contrast.