Navratan Pulao means Nine Jewels Rice.
I mentioned this many times before – Indian festivals do not feel much here in Boston unless you step inside a school where a local Bengali committee has rented a place to host Durga Puja or opened your social media where glorious photos of celebrations are being posted every second. I have slowly adjusted to American life. However, my parents miss these festivals dearly. Although we don’t go crazy with the food, my mum and I try to whip up some traditional dishes during this time. My daughter is very young and does not understand the genuine concept of celebration much. That will change, and we will adapt with time.
We are kicking off the festival season with a regal and elegant Pilaf – Navratan Pulao this year. I am not familiar with the history, although I would love to learn about the dish’s ‘real’ history one day. Today, we are sharing just a recipe. I am told you need nine ingredients to make this – it can be a mix of dry fruits, nuts, vegetables, etc. I felt this dish is very close to the Persian Bejeweled Rice I make for my thanksgiving if you ask me.
This elegant rice dish is just perfect for any holiday! We have paired with Chicken, Shrimp, Goat, Lamb, and Paneer Curries. No matter how you serve this dish – it’s an absolute winner always. With all said, as I always mention – the quality of rice matters. This dish is made with Royal Basmati Rice which elevates the taste and texture of the dish massively. We use Royal Basmati Chefs Secret Rice for our everyday use too!
I have grown and tried so many types of rice, Royal Chef’s Secret is the best rice I have tasted in life. This is why she never went back to other rice brands since 2019.
My Mum
Let talk recipe!
Navratan (Nine Jewels) Pulao (Pilaf)
4
servingsIngredients
- Rice
1 cup Royal Basmati Rice (Chef’s Secret)
1 tablespoons ghee
½ teaspoon whole cumin seeds
1 black cardamom
1 cinnamon stick (1-inch)
4-5 cloves
4-5 green cardamom
10-12 whole black peppercorn
2-3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon salt
- Saffron Milk
7-8 threads of saffron
1 cup milk
- 9 Jewels (Navratan)
3-4 tablespoons ghee
2 tablespoon whole raw almonds
2 tablespoon cashew
100 grams paneer, cut into 1-inch size cubes
3 baby potatoes, each cut into 8 pieces (1 cup)
1 cup Cauliflower, cut into small florets
½ cup carrot, diced
½ cup green beans, diced
½ cup green peas
2 tablespoon raisins
salt to taste
- Assembly
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground mace
5-6 drops rose water
Directions
- Rice Preparation
- Wash and clean rice thoroughly under running tap water. Add water and keep it soaked for 30 minutes. After half an hour, strain it with a strainer on a kitchen sink.
- In a saucepan, add 1 tablespoon ghee. Over medium-low heat, add whole cumin, whole spices(two types of cardamom, clove, cinnamon, black peppercorn), bay leaves, and cook it for 1-2 minutes or until the spices are slightly aromatic. Add rice and toss it to coat well. Add 1 teaspoon salt and 2.5 cups water. Cover the lid and cook it for 10-12 minutes on medium heat or until the water is evaporated entirely and rice is near done. With a fork, fluff it. Take it aside. (Check the notes for this section)
- Saffron Milk
- While rice is getting ready, warm your milk, add saffron strands, and let it sit.
- Preparing the Jewels
- In a thick bottom dutch oven, over medium-low heat, heat 1 tablespoon ghee. Add cashew and almonds. Cook it for 1-2 minutes or until cashew changes color slightly. Take it aside on a plate lined with a paper towel.
- In the same dutch oven at medium-low heat, add paneer pieces and cook them for 2-3 minutes on each side or until each side becomes slightly brown. Season it with salt and take it aside on a plate (see my notes below).
- In the same dutch oven, over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon ghee if needed. Add potatoes and cook for 8-10 minutes or until potatoes are nearly (80%) done (but not completely). Potato pieces should be golden all over, not brown. Season it with salt and take it aside on a plate.
- In the same dutch oven, over medium heat, add cauliflower. Depending on ghee, you might need to add more ghee. Cook it for 8-10 minutes or until they are lightly golden-brown. Once again, like potatoes; cauliflower will be 80% done but not completely soft. Season it with salt and take it aside on a plate.
- In the same dutch oven, over medium heat, add carrots. Add more ghee if required. Cook it for 5-6 minutes or until they are lightly cooked through. Season it with salt and take it aside on a plate.
- In the same dutch oven, over medium heat, add green beans and peas. Add more ghee if required. Cook them for 5-6 minutes or until they are lightly cooked through. You don’t need to take it aside.
- How to assemble
- Add back everything you have sauteed so far back to the dutch oven. Add raisins and rice. Toss it to mix everything together.
- Pour the saffron milk you have prepared and add ground nutmeg, mace.
- Cover and cook 10-12 mins on low heat. Open the lid and add rose water. Take it off the heat. Let it sit with the lid closed for 12-15 minutes or until it cools down a bit to serve.
- Serving Ideas
- Salad
- Whole Roasted Chicken
- Chicken, Shrimp, Lamb, Goat, Paneer curries
Notes
- I use one bowl to keep everything. However, if you are like my mum you can use one plate for one ‘jewel’.
- We cook the vegetables nearly done while sauteeing with ghee. We cook it completely when we slow cook it with rice later.
- My mum prepared the rice separately in a saucepan. However, you can use the same dutch oven to cook the rice. You need to adjust the cooking time if you are using a large dutch oven vs a small saucepan.
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