Chingri machher polau

Shyamali Sinha’s Chingri Machher Polau is a Bengali prawn pulao offered for a feasting menu. This selected version uses the recipe’s Gobindo Bhog rice option with medium banana prawns, red onion, layered ginger-and-green-chilli flavouring, ghee, whole spices and saffron milk.

The rice is washed, soaked in water and drained, and saffron soaks separately in warm milk. Ginger and green chilli are blended with water; some of the paste marinates the washed prawns with red chilli powder, Bengali gorom moshla and salt, while another portion seasons the rice with ghee, nutmeg and salt.

Oil and some ghee are heated in the cooking pot. The selected optional cashews fry until golden and are lifted out, followed by the marinated prawns; more of the same oil is added before whole spices and sliced red onion cook, with some fried onion reserved for the finish.

The seasoned rice fries in the pot before boiling water is added. It cooks covered until almost half done, then the fried cashews and prawns return with the selected optional raisins, sugar and the remaining ghee.

Saffron milk, slit green chillies and the reserved fried onion are added before covering again. The pot is set over a hot tawa for gentle dum cooking, then the heat is turned off and the pulao rests briefly before serving.