The Bengali Fried Rice is a classic Bengali rice dish. We often prepare it over the weekend to serve alongside rich non veg curries. Often that would be Sunday Mutton Curry or spice coated rich dry chicken/ egg curry. We prepare the mildly spiced Bengali, fried in ghee instead of oil.
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.
HERE IS THE RECIPE VIDEO
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.
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.
Bengali Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 2 cups long grain basmati rice (cooked and cooled down)
- 2 carrots (diced into tiny bites)
- Roughly 2 cups tiny bites of chopped green beans
- 2 green chili (slit in half)
- ¼ cup ghee
- ¼ cup cashew
- 3 to 4 bay leaves
- ½ teaspoon cloves
- 5 green cardamoms
- ½ teaspoon fennel powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- salt as per taste
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- freshly cracked black pepper - 1 tablespoon
Instructions
- Place a heavy bottom wok/pan in medium heat and pour the ghee.
- Add the bay leaves, cloves, green cardamoms and cashew. Toss it around for 30 seconds.
- Drop the carrot and green beans.
- Add salt and cover the pan. Keep the heat in medium and let it cook for 5 minutes for the vegetables to soften a little but still stays crunchy.
- Scatter the cooked rice, season with salt, add sugar, cumin powder, fennel powder and freshly cracked black pepper. Toss it around a few times to mix everything evenly.
- Drop the slit green chili and toss it around again.
- Taste for salt and add more if needed.
Notes
Nutrition
mjskitchen
We love fried rice and make it whenever we have leftover rice, which happen quite a lot. Have never made with your seasoning. I love it! This is a keeper. Thanks!