Bengali Fried Rice is also referred to as Vegetable Pulao or Bengali Ghee Bhaat. This is a classic Bengali dish served on special occasions like birthdays and wedding parties. The fried rice doesn’t call for a long list of spices or vegetables. We keep it very simple, as we serve it with spicy curries.
Ingredients you need
Ghee - I like to use my homemade brown ghee to prepare the rice. It adds a rich aroma to the dish. = Basmati Rice - On a daily basis, we consume short grain white rice for easy digestion purpose. But for this particular fried rice, we use long grain basmati rice. Bay leaves, Cardamoms and Cloves - These are the only three whole spices that we add while preparing the fried rice. Fennel powder and Cumin Powder - We use a very tiny amount of these ground spices to add aroma to the rice. Freshly cracked Black Pepper - For the best flavor, definitely use only freshly cracked black pepper Salt and Sugar - We like to sweeten the Bengali Fried Rice with a bit of sugar. It is however not sweet like Basanti Pulao. Vegetables - I used carrots and green beans. Sometimes I also add peas and cauliflowers. Cashews - I love adding cashews to fried rice and sometimes even raisins.
How to make perfectly fluffy Fried Rice
The foundation of a good fried rice is cold rice. When you cook the rice, make sure not to make it mushy. If you don’t have leftover cooked rice, then allow the cooked rice to cool down by spreading it on a big tray and keep it in the refrigerator. When you prepare the fried rice, use a big, heavy bottom wok or pan. You want to have enough room to toss the rice, so it doesn’t get mushy and grains stay separated.
- Then scatter the cashew and sauté for a few seconds.
- Add the vegetables. I added carrots and beans and stir fry for the vegetables to softened down a little. Season with salt.
- Add the cold rice and toss it around to combine everything.
- Add the spices, a bit more salt and a little sugar.
- Toss it all around to combine everything. Taste for salt and add more if needed. Enjoy the fluffy fried rice while it’s still warm. The rice dish is extremely simple to prepare and comes together very quickly. The KEY POINT is to make sure you keep the vegetable crunchy and the long grain rice fluffy. This year on Nobo Borsho which is Bengali New Year, I prepared this rice and paired with Kosha Dim (spiced Egg Curry) and Tomato Khejur Chutney (Tomato Date Chutney) The rice was mildly spiced, which paired perfectly with the curry and the sweet chutney on the side.
