Tejpat Pulao

basmati rice cooked with whole spices bloomed in ghee, the Indian bay leaf tejpat leading with its cinnamon-clove warmth, a fragrant everyday pulao of the North Indian table

Origin: India

From the journey of Bay Leaf.

The Indian bay leaf, tejpat, is not the laurel of the Mediterranean but the leaf of a cinnamon relative, and its warm, sweet, cinnamon-and-clove fragrance is one of the foundation notes of North Indian and Mughlai cooking. Nowhere is it shown more simply or more beautifully than in a fragrant pulao, where whole spices are bloomed in hot ghee before the rice goes in: the tejpat leads, with green cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, and cumin, each giving up its aroma to the fat so that every grain of the basmati is perfumed. The rice is then cooked gently in measured water until each grain is separate, fluffy, and scented. Unlike the elaborate layered biryani, a pulao is everyday cooking, the fragrant rice that accompanies a dal or a curry at the family meal, and it is the dish in which the role of tejpat as the first whole spice into the pan, the khada masala that builds the base of a North Indian dish, is most clearly tasted. A handful of fried onions, nuts, and raisins turns it festive; plain, it is the fragrant daily rice of the North.

Ingredients

The Rice

300 g basmati rice
600 ml hot water
1 tsp salt

The Tempering

3 tbsp ghee or oil
2 tejpat (Indian bay leaves)
4 pods green cardamom, lightly crushed
4 cloves
1 stick cinnamon
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 onion, thinly sliced

Method

Rinse the basmati in several changes of water until it runs clear, then soak for 30 minutes and drain.
Heat the ghee in a heavy pan with a tight lid. Add the tejpat, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, and cumin and let them sizzle for 30 to 60 seconds, until fragrant.
Add the sliced onion and fry until golden and soft, 5 to 7 minutes.
Add the drained rice and stir gently for a minute or two to coat every grain in the spiced ghee.
Pour in the hot water, add the salt, and bring to the boil. Cover tightly, reduce to the lowest heat, and cook undisturbed for 12 to 15 minutes, until the water is absorbed.
Take off the heat and rest, covered, for 5 to 10 minutes, then fluff gently with a fork. Serve hot; the tejpat and whole spices are left in for show but not eaten.

Notes

Genuine tejpat (Indian bay, Cinnamomum tamala) gives the authentic cinnamon-clove fragrance; ordinary Mediterranean bay is not a true substitute, though it will do at a pinch. Scatter with fried onions, toasted cashews, and raisins for a festive pulao, or stir through cooked peas or vegetables. Use ghee for the richest flavour or oil to keep it vegan.

The Gastrographer

Name: Tejpat Pulao
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: India
Ingredients: 300 g basmati rice; 3 tbsp ghee or oil; 2 tejpat (Indian bay leaves); 4 pods green cardamom, lightly crushed; 4 cloves; 1 stick cinnamon; 1 tsp cumin seeds; 1 onion, thinly sliced; 600 ml hot water; 1 tsp salt

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Journey Point Map Key

Ingredient originTrade or transit route

Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control