Badshahi Pulao

Ingredients

• • Basmati rice - 1 cup
• • Capsicums - 7
• • Coconut (grated, fresh) - ¼ cup
• • Curd (thick) - ½ cup
• • Onions (chopped) - 2
• • Cardamoms - 2
• • Cinnamon - 1 inch
• • Ghee - 1 tablespoon
• • Oil - 2 tablespoons
• • Garam masala powder - ¼ teaspoon
• • Turmeric powder - ¼ teaspoon
• • Chilly powder - ½ teaspoon
• • Coriander leaves (finely cut) - 1 ½ tablespoons
• • Salt - as required
• • Potato - ¼ kg
• • Ground almond paste - 1 ½ teaspoons

Method

• 1. Cut capsicums breadth wise and remove the seeds carefully.
• 2. Blanch in hot water to which little salt is added.
• 3. Close the lid and after two minutes, drain water completely.
• 4. Cook potatoes in pressure cooker.
• 5. Peel and mash.
• 6. To this add garam masala powder, turmeric powder, chilly powder, salt, coriander leaves, ground mixture of coconut and pepper.
• 7. Fill the capsicum cases with this potato mixture and pat well.
• 8. Heat oil in a flat pan and fry this carefully on both sides.
• 9. Keep aside.
• 10. Wash and soak rice for 10 minutes.
• 11. Heat oil and fry cardamom, cinnamon with cut onion, when it turns brown add rice and fry for few minutes.
• 12. Pour 1 ½ cups of boiling water.
• 13. Add enough salt and mix almond paste to this.
• 14. Reduce flame and cook till rice is done. (Close the lid while cooking).
• 15. When rice is cooked grease an oven proof dish and spread half of the rice.
• 16. Pour half of the beaten curds on top.
• 17. Arrange capsicums on that, spread other half of rice with rest of the curds over it.
• 18. Bake in a moderate oven for 15 minutes covered with foil. Serve hot.