Shahi Pulao Recipe (Royal Indian Rice with Nuts, Saffron & Whole Spices)
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One pot. Thirty minutes of active working time. And your kitchen smells like a Mughal palace. This Shahi Pulao is a gem of a recipe to try!
Table of Contents
As I write this post, I am drooling and want to make this Shahi Pulao recipe again; it was so good. Fragrant rice, fried nuts, ghee, and saffron, what’s not to love about the flavors in this rice dish?
I have a diary where I jot down recipes that I like. I must have written this recipe after watching it on an online cooking channel some 8-10 years back. While going through the dairy a few days ago, I came across it and decided to give it a try. It turned out so well that it’s now my favorite to make for all special occasions and festivals. You must try it too.
What Is Shahi Pulao?
Shahi Pulao is a North Indian festive rice dish made by cooking aged long-grain basmati rice with whole spices (cloves, cardamom, star anise, cinnamon), fried cashews, almonds, and raisins, golden-brown crispy onions, yogurt, saffron, and kewda essence.
The word “shahi” translates to “royal” or “fit for a king,” and this dish lives up to the name.
It is richer than jeera rice or plain pulao, but simpler than biryani, no layering required. The dish serves 4 and takes about 55 minutes from start to finish (including the soaking time).
If you like making jeera rice or ghee rice, then you will love this shahi-style pulao as well.
I like to serve it with a raita or with creamy veg curries for my festive meals. I also make it for house parties or any special occasions.
Why You’ll Love This Family Favorite Recipe!
- One-pot simplicity – no layering, no dum cooking
- Deeply aromatic thanks to saffron + kewda – the Mughlai signature combo
- Easily customizable – add paneer, chicken, or more vegetables
- Stores well for 4–5 days; great for meal prep and parties
Ingredients
- Rice – For the best texture of the pulao, use aged long-grain basmati rice. Aged rice holds its shape well when cooked, giving the pulao a very nice texture.
- Whole Spices – This pulao is subtly spiced with whole spices like cloves (laung), star anise (chakri phool), green cardamom (hari elaichi), bay leaf (tejpatta), and cinnamon (dalchini).
- Nuts – I use almonds, cashews, and raisins, but you can also add other nuts like walnuts, pinenuts, etc.
- Onion – This recipe uses both raw onions and Crispy Fried Onions (birista). You can prepare birista beforehand, so that it comes in handy while cooking.
- Veggies – I used carrots and green peas in this recipe, but you can add more vegetables, such as cauliflower, green beans, or bell peppers. Do not forget to add cilantro (fresh coriander leaves) and mint, as they add a refreshing flavor to the pulao, making it more delicious.
- Saffron gives this shahi pulao a beautiful orangish color and a lovely flavor. No saffron? Add a pinch of turmeric for color. But saffron genuinely elevates the flavor and is worth the investment for festive meals.
- Ghee & Oil – I prefer a mix of ghee and oil, but you can also make it with only ghee.
- Kewda essence (or kewda water) – If you don’t have kewda essence, add a little rose water for a rich flavor.
- Others – You will also need plain yogurt (dahi, curd), cumin seeds, garam masala powder, and salt.
How To Make Shahi Pulao
Step 1: Wash 1 cup of long-grain white basmati rice and soak it in water for 20 minutes. Soaking makes the rice cook faster, and the grains are separate once cooked.
Step 2: Heat 1 tablespoon of oil and 2 tablespoons of ghee in a pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add 8-10 almonds and 8-10 cashews to the pan and fry until lightly browned.
Step 3: Then add 8-10 raisins and fry for 4-5 seconds. Remove the fried nuts and raisins to a plate.
Do not add raisins with the almonds and cashews, as the raisins cook much faster than the almonds and cashews do.
Step 4: Now, add the following ingredients to the pan and let them crackle for 3-4 seconds.
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 4 cloves
- 1 star anise
- 2 green cardamoms
- 1 bay leaf
- 1-inch piece of cinnamon stick
Step 5: Add ½ cup of sliced onions and cook until golden brown, stirring frequently.
Don’t rush this step. Properly caramelized onions are the difference between average and exceptional pulao.
Step 6: Now add the following ingredients and mix well.
- ¼ cup plain yogurt, whisked
- 1 teaspoon garam masala powder
- 2 tablespoon crispy fried onions
- 1 tablespoon chopped mint
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
- ¼ cup green peas
- ¼ cup cubed carrot
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon kewda essence (or 1 teaspoon kewda water)
Step 7: Then add the following ingredients and mix well.
- soaked rice
- 2 cups of water
- 1 pinch of saffron soaked in 1 tablespoon milk
- fried nuts
Step 8: Reduce the heat to low. Cover the pan with a lid and cook undisturbed for 20-25 minutes, or until the rice is cooked and all the liquid has evaporated.
Step 9: Remove the pan from the heat and let it rest for 5 minutes. Gently fluff the ready pulao with a fork to keep the grains separate, and serve hot.
Pro Tip By Neha
The rice-to-water ratio is very important for making perfectly fluffed rice. Use standard cup measures to ensure the best results.
Shahi Pulao FAQs
Soaking the rice for 15-20 minutes makes the grains fluff nicely once cooked. However, if you have forgotten to soak the rice and want to make the pulao immediately, then you can just wash the rice and use it in the recipe. The cooking time might increase by a minute or two.
The cooking time and water-to-rice ratio for brown rice differ significantly from those for white rice. If you prefer to make this recipe with brown rice instead of white rice, use 2 ½ cups of water per cup of rice and cook the rice, covered, on low heat for 40-45 minutes.
Ghee and yogurt are two non-vegan ingredients in this recipe. You can substitute ghee with any cooking oil and yogurt with any vegan yogurt to make this recipe vegan-friendly.
Serving Suggestions
Shahi Pulao is rich enough to stand on its own but truly shines alongside a creamy curry or a cooling raita.
For a complete festive thali, pair it with Shahi Dal and a Boondi Raita. For casual Friday dinners, Paneer Makhani over this pulao is a combination your guests will ask for again.
Here are some more of my favorite pairings: Dal Makhani, Shahi Aloo Pyaz, and Begun Bhaja.
Storage Suggestions
Store leftover Shahi Pulao in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4–5 days. To reheat, sprinkle a teaspoon of water over the rice, cover loosely, and microwave for 90 seconds or reheat in a pan over low heat with a splash of water until piping hot.
Freezing is not recommended; the basmati grains become mushy, and the fried nuts lose their texture when thawed.
Other Indian Rice Recipes We Recommend
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Shahi Pulao Recipe (Royal Indian Rice with Nuts, Saffron & Whole Spices)
Ingredients
- 1 cup long grain white basmati rice
- 2 tablespoons ghee
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 8-10 almonds
- 8-10 cashews
- 8-10 raisins
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 4 cloves (laung)
- 1 star anise (chakri phool)
- 2 green cardamoms (hari elaichi)
- 1 bay leaf (tejpatta)
- 1 inch cinnamon (dalchini)
- ½ cup sliced onions
- ¼ cup plain yogurt (dahi, curd) (whisked)
- 1 teaspoon garam masala powder
- 2 tablespoons crispy fried onion (birista)
- 1 tablespoon chopped mint
- 1 tablespoons chopped cilantro (fresh coriander leaves)
- ¼ cup green peas
- ¼ cup cubed carrots
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon kewda essence (or 1 teaspoon kewda water)
- 1 pinch saffron (soaked in 1 tbsp milk)
Instructions
- Wash the rice and soak it in water for 20 minutes. Soaking makes the rice cook faster, and the grains are separate once cooked.
- Heat oil and ghee in a pan over medium-high heat.
- Once hot, add 8-10 almonds and 8-10 cashew nuts and fry until browned.
- Add 8-10 raisins, and fry for 4-5 seconds. Transfer the fried nuts to a plate.
- Add cumin seeds, cloves, star anise, cardamoms, bay leaf, and cinnamon, and let them crackle for 3-4 seconds.
- Add onions and cook until they turn golden brown, stirring frequently.
- Now add yogurt, garam masala powder, crispy fried onions, mint, cilantro, peas, carrot, salt, and kewda essence and mix well.
- Add the soaked rice, 2 cups of water, saffron soaked in milk, and fried nuts, and mix well.
- Reduce the heat to low.
- Cover the pan and cook undisturbed for 20-25 minutes until the rice is cooked and all the liquid is evaporated.
- Remove the pan from the heat and let it rest for 5 minutes.
- Fluff the pulao using a fork and serve hot.