Completing the Jammu wedding customary triumvirate is the dessert - Sri Pulao.
Also, for this post, I have a special shoutout to my grandmother's aunt, who, at 87 years of age, went through all the effort of preparing this. I am yet to find anyone who makes it better than her.
This dish is very wholesome, and one I thoroughly enjoy. The texture of the nuts nicely balances out the sweetness of the sugar. Apart from weddings, you can find this being prepared on other festive occasions such as Naag Panchami.
Before I walk you through the ingredients or the steps, here are some relevant metrics for the recipe
Difficulty - Easy
Prep time - None. Well, as long as it takes you to source these ingredients and get organised :)
Cooking time - around 30 to 45 minutes.
Servings - around 5 to 6.
Ingredients
Rice - 2 cups
Sugar - around 3 quarters of a cup.
Khoa or Mawa - 100 grams. I tried really hard to find out what it translates to in English, but my efforts were futile. I will let Wikipedia explain as best as it can.
Sliced cashews and almonds - to your heart's content. 10 each is a good starting point.
Raisins - 20 grams
Cardamoms, slightly crushed - around 2 to 3.
Ghee/Clarified butter - 2 to 3 tbsp.
I would recommend frying the nuts and the raisins before adding them to the dish.
The Process
First off, we will cook our rice, but not all the way through; we stop when the rice is around 80% done. We stop at this mark because the rice will be cooked again. I'm guessing you're familiar with how rice is cooked and I won't be getting into that detail.
In a large frying pan, heat some Ghee on medium flame. Make sure the Ghee doesn't burn.
Once the Ghee is hot, add the cardamom pods to it.
Now, add the Khoa to the Ghee.
Mix the Khoa really well and continue to do so until the Khoa turns red. Continue to stir but ensure it doesn't burn. Khoa is notorious for it, so don't take your eyes off the stove.
Add in the sugar now and saute the contents.
Now, add the cooked rice into the pan.
Mix everything well, ensuring the rice soaks in the Ghee and the Khoa.
Cover the pan with a lid, set the flame to low and let it cook for around 5 minutes.
Now uncover the lid, add the nuts and raisins.
Give everything a good mix and turn off the flame. Your dish is ready.
Bon appetite. Enjoy this Jammu classic the next time you feel like something sweet, and as always, I'd love to hear what you have to say in the comments down below. See you in the next one.