Daily Recco, January 26: Patriotism on your plate with Tiranga Pulao

India celebrates her 72nd Republic Day and the tricolour is fluttering everywhere. But what about your food? Does your food celebrate the Indian Republic and represent the tricolour? It can if you make the Tricolour Pulao or the Tiranga Pulao. Each part of the country has its own version of the pulao, making it a truly national dish. Add the tricolour to it, and what better way to display your patriotism. The tiranga pulao is a colourful dish with each colour representing an individual taste.

You need to prepare the three colours separately and assemble them together.

What you need:

Three cups of basmati rice

One cup of ghee

One medium-sized carrot, grated

One cup of orange juice

Orange food colour

One cup paneer, grated

One tablespoon of coconut, grated

One bunch of coriander leaves

Four green chillies

Half a cup of green peas shelled

Six cloves

A one-inch piece of cinnamon

Four pods of cardamom

Three pods of garlic

A one-inch piece of ginger

Salt to taste

How to:

Divide the basmati rice in two — two cups in one portion and one cup in the other. Wash and soak the two parts separately for half an hour.

In a pan, heat one teaspoon of ghee on medium flame. Add the cloves, cinnamon and the cardamom seeds. Fry for a few minutes.

Add the two cups of soaked rice and sauté for about two minutes.  Add four cups of water to it, cover the pan partially and let the rice cook. Ensure that the rice does not stick.

Divide the remaining ghee into three parts.

For the saffron-coloured rice, use the remaining one cup soaked rice. In a separate pan, add a little ghee and sauté the carrots. Add the rice and give it a stir. Add the orange juice, one cup of water, a little salt and a few drops of orange food colour. Cover partially and let the rice cook. Garnish with fried cashew nuts (optional). 

For the white rice, fry onions in a pan till it is translucent. Add the grated paneer and salt and sauté for a few minutes. Add one cup of cooked rice and give it a light-handed stir.

For the green rice, grind the coriander leaves, coconut, green chillies, ginger and garlic to a thick paste with very little water. Heat a teaspoon of ghee on medium flame. Add the cumin and the prepared green paste and sauté. Add the green peas, salt and sprinkle some water. Cover and let it cook till the peas are tender. Once cooked, add a cup of cooked rice and stir.

Arrange it on a plate with the saffron side on top, white in the middle and green at the bottom. Serve hot with onion raita.

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