Kashmiri Pulao is a delicious rice preparation where rice is cooked in milk and is loaded with dry fruits and fruits. Saffron is added to it too which gives a very nice fragrance to this pulao. Here is how to make it in traditional and restaurant-style.

I have lovely memories of Veg Kashmiri Pulao from my childhood.

My mom used to keep cuttings from the magazines which were related to food, knitting or home decor.

In one of those cuttings, I found the recipe for this pulao and decided to surprise my parents by cooking a meal of this along with Boondi Raita.

All the ingredients were neatly measured and arranged on a tray and following the recipe to the T, I made this Kashmiri Veg Pulao Recipe.

The dish was quite appreciated and became a house favorite, although I never cooked it again after that.

Today while going through my mom’s collection, I came across the recipe again and it took me no time to decide today’s menu.

But then when I grew up, I read more about the Kashmiri Cuisine and learned that this pulao is a restaurant version of Kashmiri Pulao and the real deal is quite different from what we grew up eating in the name of this traditional dish.

Traditional Kashmiri Pulao is made for wazwan during weddings and celebrations and it sometimes has gucchi (morel mushrooms) as well.

You can also try other Pulao Recipes that can be made for your festive meals – Paneer Pulao, Restaurant Style Veg Pulao, Gucchi Pulao, Hyderabadi Zafrani Pulao, and Achari Chana Pulao.

So before I share this restaurant-style version of Veg Kashmiri Pulao, let me take you through the traditional recipe as well. 

Traditional Recipe (With Mutton)

To make traditional Kashmiri Pulao, first make a stock using 1-liter water, 250 g bones of mutton, 2 bay leaves, 2 black cardamom, 1-inch cinnamon, 1 teaspoon dry ginger powder and 2 teaspoon fennel seeds.

Let the stock boil for 20 minutes. Add ½ cup of golden fried onions and let it boil for another 5 minutes.

You can replace mutton with chicken if you wish to.

Add salt to taste and mix well.

Strain the stock through a mesh strainer.

Measure the stock and make it to 4 cups. If required, add some water to match the measurement.

Bring the measured stock to a boil and now add 2 cups of long grain basmati rice to it. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of ghee on top.

Simmer the heat to low and cover and cook the pulao until rice is cooked and all the stock is absorbed by it.

So this is how pulao is made in Kashmir :). So do try both the recipes.

They are very different from each other but both equally delicious.

Serve it with Boondi Raita.

In fact, any raita goes well with this pulao. So make it today and enjoy it!

About the recipe

This version of Kashmiri Pulao is filled with fruits and dry fruits making it even richer.

It also has saffron which gives it a fantastic aroma and flavor as well. 

The rice here is cooked in milk and water together and is spiced with whole spices too.

To add more taste and a crunch to this pulao, fried paneer cubes, and fried onions are also added, which takes this Pulao to another level. 

I often make this during my weekend meals or even for house parties.

It is also a great dish to take for your potluck parties. 

Pro Tips by Neha

Use the best quality long grain basmati rice to make it.

You can either soak saffron in milk before adding it in the pulao or add it directly along with water and milk.

Use your choice of dry fruits to go in the pulao.

Use your choice of fruits to go in the pulao.  

Fluff the rice only once it has rested for 5-10 minutes after cooking.

It will prevent the grains from breaking.

You can reheat this pulao in the microwave. Cover the bowl with a loose lid and micro for 2 minutes.

Check out the recipe to make Golden Fried Onion. You can make them in bulk and freeze for up to 2 months.

Serving Suggestions

It goes well with any Raita like Boondi Raita or Pineapple Raita.

You can also serve it as a side dish along with your festive or party meals. 

What fruits can be added to it?

While Apple and Pomegranates taste the best, you can also add in other fruits such as pineapple, grapes, mango, etc.

Step by Step Recipe

Heat ghee in a pan.

When the ghee is hot, add shahi jeera, green cardamom, black cardamom, bay leaves, cloves, and black peppercorns and let them tackle for a few seconds.

Add milk, water, rice, saffron soaked in milk, fennel powder, dry ginger powder, and salt and cover the pan and cook on low heat till the rice is done. Let the rice rest for 5 minutes and then fluff it using a fork. Be gentle and take care to not break the grains of the rice.

Meanwhile, the rice is cooking, fry the cashew nuts, raisins, almonds, and paneer till golden brown.

Add fried onions, fried dry fruits and paneer, apple and pomegranate in the rice and mix gently. Garnish with fresh coriander and serve hot.