Usually, pilaf/pulao/biryani/nawabi pulao can be very heavy in nature. I wanted to have the same taste without the heaviness sometimes biryani leaves you with. (Don’t get me wrong Biryani is King and will always eat it if you make it for me.) This is a quick instant-pot recipe to satisfy the cravings without the bloat-y feeling.
This recipe can easy be made vegan by switching out the ghee with any kind of neutral oil.
There is a ton of health benefits to saffron as well it helps reduce the risk of heart disease by strengthening the circulatory system. Its antioxidants have been shown to lower both cholesterol and blood pressure.
Ingredients
- 2 cups of basmati rice
- 2 tablespoon ghee (divided)
- 1/3 cup cashew nuts
- 1 big pinch of saffron threads
- 1 teaspoon ginger paste
- 1 teaspoon garlic paste
- 2 to 3 dill leaves stems
Directions
- In a bowl wash the rice 3 to 4 times until water runs clear-ish. Make sure to wash the rice throughly rubbing the rice in-between your fingers.
- In a mortar and pestle add in grind the saffron threads to powder like consistency. In a half cup of hot water add in the saffron and bloom it.
- Add washed rice to the instant pot ‘pot’ and add in 1 and 1/2 tablespoon of ghee and turn on sauté mode on the instant pot lightly fry the rice and add in salt to taste.
- Add the ginger and garlic paste to the rice and pour in the half cup of bloomed saffron water with 2 more cups of water; seal the instant pot and put it on 8 minutes of high pressure on manual and let it naturally release for 5 minutes after it’s done.
- While the rice is cooking in a non-stick pan add in 1/2 tablespoon of ghee and lightly roast the cashews and set them aside.
- Once the rice is done (and you’ve let it naturally release for 5 minutes) fluff the rice with a fork and add in the roasted cashews and garnish with dill.
- Serve it with any protein of your choice. Kababs would go great with this.
