Description
Birista Pulao, or Beresta Pulao, is a straightforward and savory pulao dish that involves using onion crisps, dry red chilies, and a variety of spices. This delicious Pilaf is often prepared in Bengali Muslim households as a side dish to complement spicy meat dishes.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 250g Short-grain flavored Rice
- 5 Onion
- 8-10 Dry Red Chilli
- 2 Bay leaf
- 1 Tsp. Salt
- 150ml Oil (for frying the Onion followed by cooking)
- 1 Tsp. Ghee (Optional)
Instructions
- Wash rice thoroughly and soak it in water for 30 minutes.
- Finely chop onions.
- Heat oil in a deep vessel and fry onions until they turn brown and crisp.
- I prefer to fry the onion in small batches. This helps in getting the onion crunchier.
- Strain half of the fried onion from the pan.
- Fry dry red chilies as well.
- Keep 1/3 of the fried chilies in the pan; crush 1/3 of the chilies and add to the pan and keep the rest for garnishing. This step is very important.
- Add 2 bay leaves.
- Now add soaked rice after discarding the water.
- Fry the rice for 3-4 minutes on low flame.
- The rice will turn almost translucent.
- Add boiling water (double the quantity of rice) to the rice.
- Now add salt as well.
- Cover the pan with a lid and cook for around 7-8 minutes or until the rice is cooked.
- Rice will soak all the water by then.
- Now add the rest of the fried onions and fried red chilies.
- Add 1 Tsp. of ghee and lightly mix it.
- Do not overmix while cooking or do not add excess water.
- Give a rest of 10 minutes before opening the lid to serve the pulao.
- Serve Birista Pulao hot with a spicy side
Notes
- I use vegetable oil for this recipe; however, my mother-in-law uses mustard oil. Both taste good.
- Ghee is optional however makes the dish flavorful.
- As very few spices are used, onion and red chili dominate the flavors.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Category: Main
- Method: Cooking
- Cuisine: Bengali
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 100g
- Calories: 598
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 590mg
- Fat: 36.1g
- Saturated Fat: 5.2g
- Carbohydrates: 62.9g
- Fiber: 3.8g
- Protein: 6g
- Cholesterol: 3mg
