Bengali Pilau Rice

Forget that multicoloured stuff served in your local Indian Takeaway - this is the real thing! Almost a meal in itself this really does have to be tasted to be believed. It is, of course, also a perfect accompliment to almost any other good Bengali food. For this Pilau to taste its best do use a good rice; there is none better than Basmati from the Himilayan foothills.

Preparation:

Prepare the whole shelled peanuts by soaking them in hot water for 1/2 hour and then removing the skins.

The Cardomon seeds and Cinnamon sticks can be used whole in this recipe, but if you are able to powder them using a small mortar and pestle then you will get even more flavour.

Skin the ginger and chop it into small strips.

Wash the rice twice in cold water.

Cooking:

Add plenty of water to the rice; at least twice the depth of the rice in a large saucepan. Sart cooking it over a medium heat and add a little Tumeric to the water. After about 20 minutes the outer part of the rice grains should be soft, but the inner core still hard; when the grains have reached this stage take the pan off the stove and drain off the water using a collinder.

Melt the butter in another saucepan. Add the peanuts and heat until they turn a little brown. Next add the Sultanas and heat until they puff up (about 1 minute), then the bayleaves. Next the ginger is added and fried until it browns; followed by the crushed or whole cinnamen and cardomin .Fry the mixture together whilst mixing it for about 1 minute.

Take the saucepan off the heat and now add the rice. Put a lid on the saucepan and shake the pan in circular tossing movement to mix it all together; as an alternative you can simply and gently stir it all together useing a woodern spoon. Lastly add salt and sugar to taste and mix the dish with more tossing.

You now have a delicious Pilau rice ready to serve.