Meethe Chaawal

[Suvir Saran]

Does anyone ever make them? Eat them?

How do you make them?

Do you add nuts and fruits to them?

Saffron and or Kewra?

PS:  Kewra is screwpine essence.

[Adam_Balic]

Suvir - I hadn't realised that I had made Meethe Chawal until I looked it up! It's very similar to some of the Persian rice dishes that I have made (is it a Moghul dish?). I have used some dried fruit, nuts and Saffron. Screwpine is Pandana, yes? If so does this make the rice green? I have served this rice with lamb dishes, would this be the case with the Indian version?

[Suvir Saran]

Adam,

Your recipe is exactly what I use to make Meethe Chaawal or also called Zarda Pulao.

We use basmati rice, raisins, pistachios, almonds and saffron.

Traditionally Kewra, Screw Pine essence is used.

And of course sugar.

Indians serve it with the entrees and some like me eat it as a snack and also a dessert.

IS this how you make yours?

[Suvir Saran]

And yes the dish is of Moghul Origin.. or at least what I am told.

I am not sure what Pandana is... Is it Kewra?  Can someone help us here?

Will check google now and let you know.

[Suvir Saran]

Kewra is the essence of the Screw Pine flower ( name is pandanus ) and thus the name Pandana.

Check the link below if you are curious

Screw Pine

[Adam_Balic]

Yes, that's the plant. You can use the leaves to wrap fish/chicken then grill these packets. The Screwpine gives a nice flavour to the meat.

The rice dishes are almost the same (they are both "Pilaw/Pulao"). Mine is a modern Iranian recipe (basically a Persian recipe), so it is interesting how, after some many of years of seperation, the Indian and Iranian recipes remain so similar. Maybe, it isn't so surprising, given how Persian cooking has influenced so many other cuisines.

[Suvir Saran]

Indian rice dishes are to me, simply lost children of Persian rice preparations.

I think the Iranian preparations are much better.  

I had an Iranian friend in Bombay, his mother would prepare these rice dishes that were Jannat (heaven) on earth.  I could not enter their kitchen due to the mardaaana/zanaana partition or else I am sure I would have been exposed to what they do differently.  

One does not find them prepared in their brilliant manner at restaurants at least in NYC.  For that matter, I have only had Pulaos here but at other Middle Eastern restaurants.  They are a shame to the very genre of Pilaw/Pulao/Pilafs.

Would you share a recipe for a pilaw?  

I am sure we all have much to gain here.  

PS:  Mardaana ( Male)

Zanaana (Female)

[mamster]

I don't think I've ever had meethe chaawal, but I've had plenty of things flavored with pandanus leaf, aka screwpine, and based on that experience I'd like to try it.  (The tree isn't at all closely related to pine trees;  it's more like a palm tree.)  Among many pandanus-wrapped dishes, I had a delicious pandanus ice cream in Vancouver BC.

[Suvir Saran]

Screw pine plant to me is very similar to the Bromeliaceae family plants.  Pineapple is one such example.  I saw both in the Singapore Botanical Garden.  They are very similar.

In fact the essence we talk about her comes from the bract that is quite similar to the pineapple.

The plants are very small and have succulent leaves and water in the center.

The bracts are very brilliant in color if I remember correctly.

[Adam_Balic]

Suvir - I have two different methods for making Pilaw. The first method (quick method) was shown to me by an Indian friend, the second is an Iranian method.

1). Take rice, fry in oil/ghee until fragrant and the rice starts to turn white, but not all white (rice ends up to soft, with no "bite" if it is fryed to long). Add 1.5 cups of water/stock/coconut milk to every 1 cup of rice. Bring to boil, lower heat then place on lid and leave for 15 minutes (do not look under the lid). Turn off heat, fluff rice, replace lid leave for five minutes. Serve. This method works very well for Basmati and Jasmine type rices, not so well for normal American long grain rice.

From this basic recipe you can make lots of different types of pilaw, by adding Spices, dried fruit, nuts, herbs etc. Some types of spice I would add with the oil, some I would add with the stock.

Iranian rice (who are reputed to make the best rice).

2) Take rice, boil for five minutes and drain. Mix together yogurt and and small egg yolk, with some saffron. Add some of the rice to this. Heat oil/ghee (or fat tailed sheep, tail fat if you have some!) Add yogurt/rice mix, spread this around the bottom. Sprinkle over the rest of the rice and layer in the flavour ingredients  (spice, nuts fruit meat etc). Place on lid, cook on low heat for about 15-20 minutes (until rice is cooked to your liking). Take off heat add leave to steam for five minutes. Turn onto a plate. The idea of the yogurt mix is to give a crisp layer of cooked rice, which is prized (there are other ways of doing this, but the yogurt gives a nice flavour). There should be enough liquid from the initial boiling of the rice to steam and cook the rice. This can be tricky, so I sometimes cheat and cook the rice as in method 1). and then use some of this rice to make the crisp base. This type of recipe when made with lots of colourful ingredients (and large sugar crystals sprinkled over) is know as "Jewel Rice".

[Wilfrid]

I cook pilaffs in the over, in a covered clay pot.  Seems to work well.  Only me?

[Suvir Saran]

Wilfrid I do that too.

What is your recipe?  Care to share?  What temperature do you cook it at?

Do you use a particular rice?