Latest news with #Pulao
Time of India
6 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Cultural pride dominates wedding menus this season
This wedding season, Kolkata's catering trends are leaning strongly towards bold, nostalgic flavours—with traditional Bengali fare dominating menus across the city. S Ramani, director of a city-based catering brand, shared, 'Menus are curated to balance flavour with cost featuring three non-veg and two veg mains, two starters, tea, and two sweets. Interestingly, 70% of orders are for Bengali non-veg items, and these alone bring in 95% of our revenue.' Read on to know what's trending. Homely cuisine sees demand uptick Fusion food, once the go-to for upscale weddings, is seeing a decline. 'People are moving away from experimentation and returning to authentic, comforting flavours,' said Ranjan Thakur of a wedding catering service. 'Mutton kosha and Pulao are more popular than chicken now, and desserts like Payesh and Gorom rosogolla are becoming wedding staples.' Other favourites such as Biryani and Kebabs are still part of the mix, driven by a renewed sense of cultural pride and a craving for flavours that feel like home. The sentiment we keep hearing from patrons is: We want guests to leave remembering how good the food was – Debashish Ghosh, GM at a national restuarant and catering chain
NDTV
05-07-2025
- General
- NDTV
Navratan Pulao Is Perfect For Weekend Indulgence - Don't Forget To Try This Recipe
We all love to enjoy delicious food with family and friends on weekends. In many Indian homes, weekends are the perfect time to prepare a variety of special dishes. Everyone has different preferences, and meals are planned accordingly. Among these, pulao is a popular one-pot dish enjoyed in households across India. It can be made in several ways-Paneer Pulao, Gobi Pulao, and Mix Veg Pulao are just a few popular examples. Today, we're adding one more name to the list: Navratan Pulao. Also Read: Street-Style Masala Tawa Pulao Recipe: A Must-Try For Rice Lovers What's Special About Navratan Pulao Navratan Pulao is a royal dish, rich in both colour and texture. Along with a mix of vegetables, it includes paneer, dry fruits, whole spices, and saffron. The whole spices add a wonderful aroma, while the fried dry fruits bring a delightful crunch. Saffron gives the dish a vibrant hue and subtle flavour. This pulao is also a great choice for special occasions-it's sure to impress every time. So without further delay, let's dive into the recipe! How To Make Navratan Pulao I Navratan Pulao Recipe: Cook the rice until it's about 80% done. Set it aside for a while. Heat 1/4 cup oil in a kadhai over medium heat. Once hot, add potato pieces and fry for 30-40 seconds. Add chopped carrots and stir. Cook for another 30 seconds, then add French beans and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until all vegetables are slightly soft. Remove them from the oil. In the same oil, fry the paneer until light golden brown. Remove and set aside. Then fry cauliflower in the same kadhai until it turns slightly brown. Once the cauliflower is done, add boiled green peas, cashews, raisins, and almonds. Fry for about 30 seconds, stirring occasionally. Add grated ginger, garlic paste, cloves, bay leaf, cinnamon, and green cardamom. Sauté for 30-40 seconds. Add the cooked basmati rice, salt, and a little ghee. Mix everything well and cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally. In a separate pan, heat some ghee. Once hot, add cumin seeds and let them splutter. Then add saffron milk along with 2 tablespoons of water. When it starts to boil, pour it into the rice and mix well. Add the pre-fried vegetables and paneer. Mix everything gently. Add lemon juice and give it one final stir. Cover the pan and let it simmer on medium heat for about 10 minutes. Serve hot and enjoy! Try this rich and flavourful dish at home and impress your guests with a taste of royalty!
NDTV
07-06-2025
- General
- NDTV
5 Pressure Cooker Mistakes That Are Ruining Your Dishes
One kitchen item that can be in almost every Indian home? It's none other than the humble pressure cooker. From Rajma to Pulao, Khichdi to Meat Curries, it is literally our go-to for fast, flavourful, no-fuss cooking. But while it makes our life easier, using it incorrectly might just ruin your utensil and dish altogether. If you have ever ended up with mushy dal, rubbery chicken, or spices that taste a bit raw, you are making some pressure cooker mistakes. Don't worry, it's not about buying a fancy model or learning high-tech settings. It's just about getting the basics right. If you are someone who uses a pressure cooker regularly, then read on to know what you should avoid to make the most of this multi-purpose vessel. Also Read: 5 Most Popular Pressure Cooker Recipes Here Are 5 Pressure Cooker Mistakes That Are Ruining Your Dishes 1. Overcrowding The Cooker We all have done it: added 'just a bit more' to save time or make extra. But stuffing the cooker affects how steam builds up and circulates. This results in unevenly cooked food, especially in dishes like pulao or sabzis, where texture matters. A tightly packed cooker will only result in some ingredients staying undercooked while others turn mushy. When you are cooking something foamy like dal or pasta, always keep the cooker at half capacity. Trust us, it is better to cook in two batches than ruin the whole meal. 2. Adding Dairy Too Soon Do you love creamy kormas or paneer sabzis? Then be careful! Adding milk, cream, or curd before pressure cooking can lead to curdling. High pressure and heat disturb the proteins in dairy, making your gravy grainy instead of smooth. To avoid this, add dairy after pressure cooking is complete when the cooker has cooled and you're simmering the dish open. This preserves the richness and gives you that luscious texture you want. 3. Cooking On Too High A Flame Photo: Unsplash We often think that more heat would result in faster cooking. But that's not the case with a pressure cooker. High flames can burn the food at the bottom and make the cooker reach pressure too quickly, without evenly heating everything inside. Instead, what you can do is bring the cooker to pressure on high, and then immediately reduce to medium or low heat to let the dish cook gently. This makes a huge difference in how the flavours develop and how soft the ingredients turn out. 4. Not Using Enough Liquid A pressure cooker works by building steam. So, if there's not enough liquid, it simply won't work right. Worse that can happen is that you can burn the base and damage the cooker. Remember, each recipe has its own liquid requirement, but a good rule is to add over 1 cup of water for pulses or grains. And 1.5 cups for dals and curries. Too much water isn't good either, especially for dishes like pulao, so measure carefully. 5. Releasing Pressure Incorrectly Photo: Unsplash See, how you release the pressure inside the cooker affects its texture and taste. Quick release but lifting the cooker whistle or running the cooker under water might work well for veggies, but not when it comes to meats, dals, or rice. On the other hand, if you let the dish sit in the cooker for too long, it might overcook soft items like pasta or eggs. Most Indian dishes taste better when the steam is released naturally. This makes them flavourful and delicious. Also Read: 6 Things To Consider Before Buying A Pressure Cooker For The First Time So, avoid these common mistakes to increase the shelf life of your pressure cooker, and to enjoy your favourite dishes hassle-free! Advertisement For the latest food news, health tips and recipes, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and YouTube. Tags: Pressure Cooker Pressure Cooker Mistakes Kitchen Tips Show full article Comments
