After a delicious and rich Kaju Pulao from Andhra, here is a cheesy pulao from Arunachal Pradesh. While I was looking for rice recipes to try from Arunachal Pradesh, I found this Kharzi pulao at three sites. My recipe is from Aharam site. I also read about the rice in Archana’s Kitchen, where a little fact about the rice was shared. This rice is supposed to be the cooking way of Monpa tribe in Arunachal Pradesh. They use a local fermented cheese with rice and spring onions. But other than that I couldn’t find a single recipe or fact about the recipe. The rice is cooked separately and the cheese mix is made separately and finally everything is combined together.
I kept postponing the preparation, as I was not sure whether Sruti would like it. One day I mentioned that there is a cheese rice in the list, but she didn’t show any enthusiasm. So I kept making other recipes. One day, I made this, but didn’t tell her what it was. It would be perfectly safe if I don’t blurt out the ingredients sometimes. I had a pot of spring onions growing in my tiny garden and I used it for this. I served it with a simple raitha and was looking out for any reaction. And she gave me a thumbs up and said she loved it. Only then I told her that it has cheese in it. I was quite relieved that it went well, otherwise I would have gone back to search for some other recipe. The pulao recipe is quite easy and also quite spicy too. If you want it mild, then use less chilly in the recipe. Adding green peas adds to the colour and the spring onions add a nice beauty to the pulao.
Ingredients:
Basmati Rice – 1 cup
Salt to taste
Water – 2 cups
Ghee – 2 tbs
Onion – 1 small
Tomato – 1
Mozzarella Cheese – 30 gm
Ginger – a small piece
Garlic – 3-4 pods
Red Chilly Powder – 1 tsp
Green Peas – 1/4 cup, boiled
Spring Onions – 1/2 cup
Procedure:
Wash, soak rice for 20 minutes.
Cook it in an open pan with salt and water until tender. Set aside to cool down.
Grind together ginger, garlic, red chilly powder, tomato and cheese to a fine paste. Set aside.
In a pan heat ghee and add onions.
Once they are golden, add in the ground paste and cook on low flame until it is thick and ghee separates.
Add the boiled green peas, chopped spring onions and fry for a minute.
Add this to the cooked rice and gently mix it to combine.
Garnish with more spring onions and serve with a raitha.
Recipes so far
Kaju Pulao from Andhra Pradesh
Kharzi Pulao from Arunachal Pradesh
Meetha Pulao from Assam
Kharzi Pulao Recipe
Ingredients
- Basmati Rice - 1 cup
- Salt - to taste
- Water-2 cups
- Ghee - 2 tbs
- Onion - 1 small
- Tomato-1
- Mozzarella Cheese - 30 gm
- Ginger-a small piece
- Garlic - 3-4 pods
- Red Chilly Powder - 1 tsp
- Green Peas - 1/4 cup boiled
- Spring Onions - 1/2 cup
Instructions
- Wash, soak rice for 20 minutes.
- Cook it in an open pan with salt and water until tender.
- Set aside to cool down.
- Grind together ginger, garlic, red chilly powder, tomato and cheese to a fine paste.
- Set aside.In a pan heat ghee and add onions.
- Once they are golden, add in the ground paste and cook on low flame until it is thick and ghee separates.
- Add the boiled green peas, chopped spring onions and fry for a minute.
- Add this to the cooked rice and gently mix it to combine.
- Garnish with more spring onions and serve with a raitha.
Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#99
[inlinkz_linkup id=817853 mode=1]
The Kharzi Pulao sounds super flavourful and a rare find ! It’s quite unique and I feel like trying it right away . , the crunchy spring onions taste awesome in rice .
Shruti is a blessed girl and glad she gave you a thumbs up ! Here is a thumbs up from me too !
Very nice and simple dish Gayatri. I must try this dish with my kids as there r no veggies added to it. Cheese will be a catchy thing for kids. Bookmarked
Cheese in rice sounds so yummy Gayathri. Even I keep telling my folks ahead if some dish needs to be done and I am not sure of their reaction. The pulao final texture has turned so good.
Glad that it was a hit with your daughter and you didn’t have to go looking for a new dish. My picky daughter who is of course older than yours dissects and figures out each ingredient in a dish, especially if it is one which she hasn’t tasted before. Going by your description, I feel your daughter is flexible in trying out new dishes.
Hi Gayathri,
The moment I saw this recipe, I tried. It came out really well! Thank you so much for such a lovely and simple recipe.
That is wonderful Renuka. I am so glad you tried.
Have never tried rice with cheese and this pulao sound quite interesting.. A big like from me for this pulao 🙂
Adding cheese to rice is so unique. I have never tried it. Bookmarking to try asap. The final dish looks so tempting and tasty! Lucky Sruti!
a very rare find, I too remember seeing this on Aruna’s site.. glad that ur kid loved it 🙂
Wow! That is a rare find, Gayathri. Glad Sruthi liked it. I shall try it for my little one as she is a little adventurous where food is concerned.
Finding a recipe from Arunachal is simply wow and vaandu would love cheese in rice. I am definitely going to try this. Thanks for sharing Gayathri.
Kharzi Pulao sounds very interesting and tasty. Adding cheese to the rice is very unique! Lovely share!
This kharzi pulao is really unique recipe and thankz for sharing.. will def try. Looks so tempting.
I had shortlisted this recipe,but since it had fermented rice was not sure if I would be getting it, as we are not a fan of cheese. But reading your recipe and after getting a thumbs up from Sruti I think this is a must try.
I have visited many blogs with biriyani recipe and trust me this is going go be in my collection. very briefly explain. I would suggest this blog if some one wants to try biriyani at home.