About The Author
Hello! From Chuchura (in Hooghly District) and a foodie, I created this blog with a mission to preserve the food of the land; with a message to encourage and promote clean and real food. I hope you enjoy and gain out of this blog, happy reading!
Looking forward to read and hear your feedback.
Phulkari is a form of art from Punjab which consists of floral work on entire pieces of cloth.
Flavorful & Rich
Phulkari Pulao is an aromatic, sweet, flavorful preparation of rice that uses an assortment of rice and vegetables and the richness of ghee, poppy seeds and saffron.
While this form of art continues to be a mainstream of Punjabi lives and culture, the Phulkari Pulao sadly has lost its relevance.
The pulao is a reference to the colorful tradition of different parts of Punjab.
What Makes Phulkari Pulao Unique?
Phulkari pulao is very different from a normal pulao we eat at home or restaurant. I have listed down a few unique features of the pulao.
- Four different varieties of aromatic rice in a fixed ratio
- Richness of saffron and mawa
- Lavishness of poppy seeds
- Hand-churned ghee
- Pot-based cooking
You will find fried rice or veg pulao in every Indian kitchen but here is something more delicious and nutritious. It’s a pulao made with three to four types of rice in a fixed proportion. It’s basically cooked with ghee, milk, mawa and exotic spices like poppy seeds, saffron and other healthy vegetables. This pulao indeed is very colorful.
Priyanka Sarkar, Travel Vlogger
Why Did It Lose Relevance?
Phulkari pulao started gaining prominence in the 19th century when biryani was becoming mainstream in Indian cuisine.
It lost relevance because biryani gained over the dish.
Access to different varieties of rice became difficult with time as most households stocked a particular type of rice.
Not to forget that poppy seeds became expensive with time. And as the populace embraced meat, this vegetarian delicacy lost its ground in Punjab.
What are the Rice Varieties Used in Phulkari Pulao?
Phulkari pulao uses a mix of multiple types of aromatic rice. Traditionally, four types of rice is used. You can consider any of the following varieties.
- Dehradun Rice
- Gobindobhog rice from Bengal
- Seeraga Samba from Malabar region
- Sona Masuri from Southern provinces of India
- Ambemohar from Maharastra
- Radhuni Pagol from Bengal
- Tulaipanji from Bengal
Phulkari Pulao Recipe
I could not get my hands on four different varieties of rice. I used basmati rice and gobindobhog rice. Both are very aromatic and easily available in neighborhood shops.
Neither did I use hand-churned ghee, nor did I use a clay pot.
Note
The equipment & ingredient quantity provided in this recipe is to assist you in cooking this dish. Feel free to experiment with your ingredients. Remember that we all have different set, size & shape of kitchen tools in our pantry.
Equipment
- Wok
- Pot to cook rice (you may also use the wok)
- Ladle
- Knife to chop vegetables
- Containers for preparation
- Serving spoons and plates
Ingredients
- 2 cups basmati rice
- 2 cups gobindobhog rice
- 1 cup poppy seeds
- 100 gram reduced dry milk (mawa)
- 2 cup hot milk
- 250 gram paneer cut in small pieces
- 200 gram carrot chopped finely
- 1 cup peas
- 3 tbsp ghee
- 1 cup cashew nut separated in halves
- 1 cup raisins (kismis)
- salt to taste
Whole Dry Spices
- 2 pieces bayleaf
- 2 pieces small cinnamon sticks
- 1 tbsp peppercorns
- 4 pieces cardamom remove the seeds and keep only the outer cover
- 3 pieces cloves
Instructions
Cooking the Rice and Poppy Seeds
- In a pot, cook the rice and poppy seeds till 80% done
- Drain the water and spread out the rice on a large plate
- Allow to cool completely. This step takes around 20-25 minutes
Preparing the Phulkari Pulao
- Heat a wok
- Put in the ghee and allow to heat
- Once the ghee is hot, put in the whole dry spices listed in the ingredients
- Allow to roast on low flame to avoid any burning
- Put in the cashews and raisins (kismis) and continue frying till the cashews develop a brown color
- Drop in the mawa and paneer and roast till the outer edges of the paneer develop a brown color
- Put in the chopped carrots and peas
- Fry the mixture till the carrots and peas are near done
- Pour in the rice and give the mixture a good stir to mix all the ingredients properly
- Continue cooking for 5 minutes with repeated stirring to avoid the rice from sticking to the bottom of the wok
- Add salt as per taste
- Pour in the hot milk and simmer for another few minutes
- Put off the heat
- Allow to rest for a couple of minutes
- Serve hot with chicken curry or raita
Notes
- You can also include beans and cauliflowers
- If you wish to add saffron, soak the saffron in hot milk before pouring in
- The vegetables should be cooked, yet retain a crunch in them. That’s how most people like the veggies in a pulao
Do make this recipe at home and let us know how it turned out to be!
At times we don’t have access to non-veg but still feel like gorging on some yummy delicacies. Phulkari pulao can come to the rescue. It is a complete meal for the vegetarians and it does not need a side dish. Apart from being delicious, it is full of nutrients as it contains veggies. The nuts and paneer and the aroma of the ghee takes the taste of the pulao to its peak. This definitely is a recommended dish.
Seshna Chatterjee, Techie & Foodie
Contribute Towards Lost Recipes
Do you know of a lost recipe – say, a recipe from your grandmom’s handwritten diary that is no longer relevant today?
I would be more than happy to receive such recipes that I can recreate in my kitchen and share with my readers. Of course, I would give you the due credits.
Happy Eating!
A recipe with a difference, the addition of poppy seeds, four different kinds of rice, hot milk, a signature dish which should be revived.