A tale of two polaos: Ilish and Kaju polao recipes

Dive into a culinary adventure that's as rich in tradition as it is in taste, just in time for your Eid meal prep! First up, we've got the Ilish Polao, a dish that's a love letter to the monsoon-fed rivers of Bangladesh, where the silver hilsa fish turns a simple meal into a feast for the senses. Then, we switch gears to the regal Kaju Polao, where each bite is a crunchy, nutty surprise that promises to add a dash of opulence to your dining table.

ILISH POLAO

Ingredients
8 pieces hilsa fish
2 cups aromatic rice
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp ghee
1 tbsp ginger paste
1 tsp garlic paste
2 tbsp onion paste
½ cup chopped onion rings
10 green chillies
3 tbsp yoghurt
4 tbsp oil
Salt to taste
Method
Clean and soak rice for 30 minutes and let the water drain completely. Wash and clean the fish and pat dry. In a bowl, marinate the fish with the spices, yoghurt, and salt and set aside for 30 minutes.
Heat oil in a pan, add onion paste and fry till light brown. Add the ginger-garlic paste and fry for a couple of minutes. When the oil starts separating from the spices, add the marinated fish and cover for some time.
Now, open the lid and stir carefully. Then take the pieces out and place on a plate. Stir fry rest of the spices, which were in the pan, and take the pan off the stove and keep aside. Take a large pan and heat oil in it, add sliced onions and fry till golden brown.
Add water, salt, sugar and cooked spices, and bring to a boil. When the water has started boiling, add the rice and cook for 10 minutes. Take half the rice from the pan and place the fish pieces, slit green chillies, fried onions on half of the rice and cover the fish with the rest of the rice.
Cover the pan and cook on very low heat for another 10 minutes. When done, remove from heat and leave for 10 minutes with the lid on.
Before serving, sprinkle ghee and fried onions on top.

KAJU POLAO (CASHEW POLAO)

Ingredients

2 tbsp oil

1 tsp ghee

500g aromatic rice, soaked and drained

200g cashews

1 cup chopped onions

1 bay leaf

2 green cardamom

2 cloves

2-inch cinnamon sticks

5 green chillies

1 tsp ginger-garlic paste

3 tbsp finely chopped coriander leaves

Salt to taste

Method

In a pan, heat oil. Fry cashews until golden brown. Remove from heat and keep aside. In the same pan, add chopped onions and fry until crisp and golden brown. Remove them and set aside. In the same pan, add 1 teaspoon of ghee and add bay leaf, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, and ginger-garlic paste. Fry until the raw smell is gone. Add water and let this come to a boil. Add soaked and drained rice and green chilli. Mix well. Cook covered on medium heat for 10 minutes. Stir and cook on very low heat for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside for 5 minutes. Sprinkle fried onions, fried cashews and finely chopped coriander leaves on top. Serve hot.