ODIA KANIKA / PURI KANIKA / KANIKA PULAO

The cuisine of Odisha is specially impacted by recipes developed and used by temple cooks for thousands and thousands of years. The prasad offered to famous Lord Jagannath is called Mahaprasad or Avada or Chappan Bhoga. Chappan Bhoga means 56 variety of Mahaprasada is part of daily offerings to Lord Jagannath. One of the dishes from Mahaprasad is Kanika.

Kanika is a mildly sweet and extremely flavorful, no onion-garlic pulao made with basmati rice, ghee, dry fruits, sugar, turmeric, and whole spices. Despite the fact that the recipe is very simple with few ingredients, the essential highlights are never to be disregarded. The essential component of the recipe is the very much isolated puffed grains embellished with an ideal sparkle from the Ghee. Before the fried rice and biryani got well known in Orissa, Kanika used to be served at all wedding feasts, picnics and family gatherings. But nowadays, it is being usually prepared for offering as prasad in pujas. It is one of the traditional Odia temple-foods and cooked in most Odia Kitchens during auspicious occasions.

INGREDIENTS:

• Basmati rice - 1 cup
• Ghee - 4 tablespoons
• Cashewnuts - 6-7 (or more as per taste)
• Raisins - 6-7 (or more as per taste)
• Bay leaves - 2
• Cloves - 2
• Black peppercorn - 4 - 5
• White cardamom - 4
• Black cardamom - 1
• Turmeric powder - 1 teaspoon
• Salt - A pinch
• Sugar -  ¼ cup
• Cinnamon - 1½ inch, freshly ground
• Nutmeg - ½ nut, freshly ground
• Water - 2 cups

PROCEDURE:

1. Wash basmati rice well till the water is clear and soak it for 30 minutes. Then drain the water and spread it on a plate for 10 minutes.
2. Heat one tablespoon ghee in a deep and thick bottomed vessel. Add the raisins and cashews. Fry till cashews turn golden brown colors and raisins swell up but do not burn them. Remove with slotted spoon and keep aside.
3. Heat one tablespoon ghee in the pan and add bay leaves, whole spices i.e. cloves, peppercorn, cardamoms and fry.
4. Once these releases the flavor in the ghee, add the rice and saute it till its translucent and shiny, gently making sure the rice grains do not break.
5. Add turmeric and salt. Mix it to coat well and add water. Cover it and cook until the rice is ³⁄₄ th done.
6. Now add sugar, cinnamon powder, nutmeg powder, cashews, raisins, rest of ghee and mix well. Keep aside a few cashews and raisins to garnish later. 
7. Cover and cook till water dries out. Stir once in a while to make sure that’s the rice is not burned. After the rice gets cooked, switch off the stove.
8. Serve Kanika on a plate, garnished with fried cashew nuts and raisins. Kanika pulao is ready to be served with daalma, saaga, tomato khajur khata or aloo dum during festivities and even chicken or mutton kasa in sundays.

NOTE:

• Don't add sugar at the beginning, the rice will not cook in sugar.
• You can use jaggery instead of sugar.

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