🍽️ Chirer Pulao Recipe

A Delicious Bengali-Style Flattened Rice Pulao

Chirer Pulao is a delicious and flavourful Bengali dish prepared with flattened rice, potatoes, carrots, onions, crunchy peanuts, cashews, raisins and aromatic whole spices. It is perfect for breakfast or a light meal.

🥣 Ingredients

 

1. Flattened Rice (Chire / Poha) — 300 g

 

2. Potato — 1 medium-sized, diced

3. Onion — 1 large, finely chopped

 

4. Carrot — 1 medium-sized, chopped

 

5. Green Chillies — 2, slit or chopped

 

6. Curry Leaves — A few

 

7. Raisins — 25 g

 

8. Cashew Nuts — 50 g

 

9. Sugar — 100 g, or adjust to taste

 

10. Peanuts — 50 g

11. Dried Red Chilli — 1, for tempering

 

12. Whole Garam Masala — Cardamom, cinnamon and cloves, as needed

 

13. Refined Vegetable Oil — As required

 

14. Turmeric Powder — A small amount for colour

 

15. Ghee — A little for flavour

 

16. Bay Leaves — 2

 

17. Salt — To taste

👩‍🍳 Method of Preparation

 

Step 1: Wash the Flattened Rice

First, wash 300 g of flattened rice thoroughly and drain off the excess water. Keep it aside.

 

 

Step 2: Fry the Peanuts

 

Step 5: Fry the Cashews and Raisins

 

Heat refined vegetable oil in a kadai. Add the peanuts and fry them lightly. Be careful not to over-fry them, as they may taste bitter. Remove and set aside.

 

Step 3: Fry the Potatoes and Carrots

In the same kadai, fry the diced potatoes. Add the chopped carrots, salt and a little turmeric powder. Mix well, cover and cook until the vegetables are tender and lightly golden.

 

Step 4: Add the Onions

Add the chopped onions to the vegetables and sauté lightly. Once cooked, transfer the mixture to a bowl and keep aside.

 

Add about one spoonful of ghee to the kadai. Fry the cashews and raisins lightly until the cashews turn pale golden and the raisins puff up. Remove and set aside.

 

Step 6: Prepare the Tempering

Add a little more refined vegetable oil. Add cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaves, one dried red chilli and curry leaves. Fry briefly until fragrant.

 

Step 7: Add the Flattened Rice

Add the drained flattened rice to the kadai. Gently mix it with the tempered spices so that the flavours are evenly distributed.

 

 

 

Step 8: Add the Vegetables and Sugar

Add the fried potatoes, carrots and onions to the flattened rice. Mix everything well, then add the sugar and stir gently until evenly combined.

 

Step 9: Add the Nuts and Finish Cooking

Add the fried cashews, raisins and peanuts. Mix gently, cover the kadai and cook on low heat for a few minutes until everything is heated through. Avoid overcooking to prevent the flattened rice from becoming mushy.

🍽️ Serving Suggestion

 

Serve the hot Chirer Pulao on a beautiful white plate. Garnish with cashews, raisins and fresh curry leaves for an attractive restaurant-style presentation.

Your delicious Chirer Pulao is ready to enjoy!

Chef’s Tip: Since this recipe uses 100 g of sugar, the pulao will be quite sweet. Adjust the sugar according to your taste preference.