Durga Puja Special Bengali Mishti Pulao

Ingredients:

1.Basmati Rice: 2 cup
2.Water: 4 cups
3.Bay leaves:2-3
4.Cashew nuts: 1/4 cup
5.Raisins: 1/4 cup
6.Ginger(grated): 2 tsp
7.Ghee:6 tbsp
8.Cinnamon: 1 inch stick
9.Green cardamom: 5-6
10.Cloves: 6-7
11.Saffron: a pinch
12.Milk: 2 tbsp
13.Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp
14.Sugar: 4-5 tbsp
15.Salt to taste

Preparation:

Clean and wash the rice properly and dry it for 1 hour.Once dried, mix 1 tbspn oil, 1 tspn ghee,turmeric powder and salt.

Put Saffron in the milk and keep it aside.

In a skillet, heat remaining oil and Ghee. Add raisins, bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon stick and cardamom. Let it splutter. Add rice. Stir for a 3-4 minutes till the rice becomes opaque and you can smell the aroma.

Add 4 cups of water, cover and cook on low flame. Check rice in 15 minutes. Keep checking. Use a fork to stir the rice so that the grains don't break or get mushed. Add Sugar and Saffron and milk mixture. Taste and adjust salt and sugar if neccessary according to your own taste. If neccessary may add a splash of water if it is too dry. Also, stop cooking when the rice is 99% done. Keep covering it and it will get cooked in the vapour.