Ingredients

• 3 cups - basmati rice, wash and soaked for 30 mins.
• Layer 1 (Grind to a paste):
• 1 inch piece - ginger
• 3 - green chillies
• 2 tbsp - coconut grated
• 2 sprigs - mint leaves
• 1/2 cup - coriander leaves
• 4 flakes - garlic
• 1 - carrot
• 1 - capsicum
• 7 - French beans
• 1 sprig - spring onions, greens chopped
• Layer 2 (Grind to a paste):
• 1 tbsp - sesame seeds
• 1 tsp - soaked khuskhus seeds
• 1 - onion
• 6 - blanched green chillies or white pepper
• 1 - cardamom
• 1 - clove
• 1 - bay leaf
• 1/2 inch piece - cinnamon
• 1 - potato
• 1 - onion
• Other ingredients
• 7 - whole shelled walnuts
• 15 - cashewnuts halved
• 15 - almonds, blanched and halved
• 1 tbsp - raisins
• 1 tbsp - cheese or paneer grated
• 1 tbsp - coriander leaves finely chopped
• 2 - bay leaves
• 1 cup - milk
• salt to taste
• pepper to taste
• 3 tbsp - ghee or oil.

How to Make Easy Shahi Pulao

• Put plenty of water to boil, add salt and bay leaves, boil. Add rice and cook till done.
• Drain water, cool in large plate.
• Heat 1.5 tbsp ghee in a heavy pan, add carrots.
• Fry till tender, drain, add French beans, capsicum.
• Fry, drain, add paste for layer 1.
• Fry paste for 3 mins, add salt, spring onions, stir.
• Take off fire, add fried vegetables back, keep aside.
• Heat remaining ghee in another pan.
• Fry and drain cashews, almonds, potato slices.
• Add onions, stir fry till light golden.
• Add raisins, salt, half the milk, paste for layer 2.
• Add fried dry fruit, stir and cook for 3 mins.
• Take off fire, keep aside. To proceed
• Take a deep casserole about 6-8 inches wide.
• Divide rice into 3 parts.
• Grease insides of casserole, spread one part of rice at bottom.
• Spread layer 1 mixture evenly over the rice.
• Spread second layer of rice over mixture.
• Mix layer 2 mixture with the remaining rice.
• Spread evenly over 2nd rice layer.
• Sprinkle milk over layers.
• Sprinkle cheese evenly to cover casserole.
• Cover the casserole with a lid or cling film, making small slits for steam to escape.
• Bake in pre-heated oven at 250 C for 9-10 mins.
• Garnish with fresh ground pepper, coriander and walnuts before serving.
• Serve hot.