Recipe Ingredients:
- 1 cup of basmati/long grained white rice
- ghee/clarified butter
- 3 Tsp kisan canola cooking oil
- 1 inch cinnamon
- 2 cloves
- 2 green cardamom
- 1 star anise
- 2 dried bay leaf
- ½ cup fresh coriander leaves/cilantro
- ½ cup fresh mint leaves
- 2 green chillies
- 5 cloves garlic
- 2 inch ginger root
- 1.5 cups of large onions, finely sliced
- ½ cup ripe tomato, chopped
- 1 tsp red chilli powder (adjust to taste)
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp cumin/jeera powder
- 1 tsp fennel/perinjeera/saunf powder
- 1 tsp roasted coriander powder
- 1 cups thick coconut milk
- 1 tsp garam masala (adjust to taste)
- 3 eggs, hard boiled and halved
- ¼ cup roasted cashewnuts
- ¼ cup raisins
- 1 tbsp coriander leaves, finely chopped, for garnish
- 1 tbsp mint leaves, finely chopped, for garnish
Recipe Method:
- Wash and soak the rice for at least 2 hours prior to cooking. Drain thoroughly before cooking.
- Grind the coriander leaves, mint leaves, green chillies, 1 inch ginger and 3 cloves garlic into a paste and keep aside.
- Grind the remaining ginger and garlic to a fine paste and keep aside.
- Hard boil the eggs, shell and cut into halves.
- In a large pan, heat 2 tbsp ghee and lightly roast the cashewnuts and raisins; drain and keep aside.
- In the same pan, add ½ cup of sliced onions and fry till golden brown; drain and keep aside.
- Add the remaining oil to the pan, and add the whole spices
- After about 15 seconds or when the spices turn fragrant, add the ground green paste and lightly fry on medium heat for a minute.
- Add the rice along with enough water to just cook the rice (refer to packet instructions for the rice or use 1:1 ration for long grained basmati rice). Season with salt and bring to boil. Once the rice is done, remove from flame and lightly fluff with a fork so that the rice does not turn mushy.
- In a deep or heavy bottom pan, heat 2 tbsp oil and add the remaining sliced onions. When the onions turn soft, add the ginger garlic paste and continue to sauté.
- As this browns, add the powdered spices and sauté for another minute. Then add the chopped tomatoes and sauté till the tomatoes turn soft and mushy.
- Reduce flame and add coconut milk along with ½ cup water. Simmer for about 5 minutes and add garam masala and season with salt.
- Next, add the cooked rice to this pan and lightly mix so that you get a marbled effect to the rice.
- Place the boiled eggs on top and garnish with the roasted cashewnuts, raisins, fried onions, coriander and mint leaves.
- Remove from heat and keep covered for at least one hour for the flavours to blend and come together.