This orange rice or komola pulao is for celebratory days! A big bag of Oranges was brought in because one day I suddenly remembered the Orange Rice Pilaf that my Nani (Grandma) made for us once. This is a simple rice pilaf supremely flavored with the season’s fresh oranges. The citrusy burst of the Orange Rice makes it a perfect accompaniment to gravy-based Indian side dishes.

A quick call to my ‘Nani’ and she recollected the recipe of this dish, which I had almost a decade back at her place. It is amazing how they can always remember the exact recipes, every time, upon being asked! Then all we had to do was juice the oranges and start with this quick and easy rice dish.

This Orange juice rice Pulao is one of those recipes that uses minimum ingredients but offers maximum gastronomic satisfaction!

It is perfect for those special occasions when you are expecting a bevy of guests and need to cook something special. I particularly prefer these types of recipes at festivals like Bengali Nobo Borsho or Poila Boishakh.

Table of Contents

Orange Rice recipe ingredients

Orange Juice: This orange rice recipe calls for freshly squeezed orange juice. Sieve the juice to get rid of the pulp. It should be smooth juice in which the rice would be cooked with a handful of nuts & raisins.
Rice: You can use any variety of flavourful rice. Here I have used Basmati Rice, but you may also use Gobindobhog Rice.
Nuts: Use cashew kernels for some crunch in this pulao recipe. In case you are allergic to nuts, avoid it.
Ghee: Ghee or clarified butter imparts a delicate flavor to this recipe. In case you are looking for a vegan version of orange rice, you may use refined sunflower oil instead. For low-fat versions as well, you may replace ghee with olive oil or refined oil.
Spices: You may use dried bay leaves and green cardamom in this recipe. My Orange Rice recipe video shows how to add spices to this recipe.

Recipe instructions

Heat Ghee (or Oil) and fry the cashews and raisins till the nuts turn golden. Take them out and keep them aside.
Now, add the rice in the ghee (or oil) and fry it till it becomes fragrant. That would take somewhere around 5-6 minutes on medium heat.
Now, add the Orange Juice and water and stir it. Add the sugar and salt, and let it simmer with its lid on.
Once the water has been absorbed completely and the rice has been cooked completely, add the fried cashew nuts and raisins and give the rice a gentle stir using a fork or chopsticks. Serve hot.

Pro Tip

Remember, the proportion of Orange Rice would always be one cup less than double the amount of Rice used in the recipe. So,

For 4 cups of rice, Orange Juice would be 4×2=8 minus 1 cup. i.e., 7 cups of Orange Juice + 1 cup Water
For 5 cups of rice, it would be 5X2=10 minus 1 cup. i.e., 9 cups of Orange Juice + 1 cup Water

So, 1 cup of Water is fixed, and the rest would be orange juice.

Serving suggestions

Pair this mildly sweet and citrusy fragrant seasoned rice dish with rich and spicy gravy side dishes like kosha mangsho or chicken curry. If you are in a hurry, then this dim kosha or Bengali egg curry is also an excellent side dish idea to go with this orange pulao.

More seasoned rice recipes

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Orange Rice | কমলা পোলাও

This is a simple rice pilaf supremely flavored with the season's fresh oranges. The citrusy burst of the Orange Rice makes it a perfect accompaniment to gravy-based Indian side dishes.

It is perfect for those special occasions when you are expecting a bevy of guests and need to cook something special

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 15

Total Time 25

Course Main Course

Cuisine Bengali

Servings 2 People

Ingredients

2 cups Basmati Rice Washed and drained
3 cups Orange Juice Freshly pressed
1 cup Water
2 tbsp Ghee Use Neutral Oil if Vegan
1/4 cup Cashew Nuts
1/4 cup Raisins
2 tbsp Sugar
Salt to Taste

Instructions

Heat Ghee (or, Oil) and fry the cashews and raisins till the nuts turn golden. Take them out and keep them aside.
2 tbsp Ghee, 1/4 cup Cashew Nuts, 1/4 cup Raisins
Now, add the rice in the ghee (or, oil) and fry them till they become fragrant. That would take somewhere around 5-6 minutes on medium heat.
2 cups Basmati Rice
Now, add the Orange Juice and water and give it a stir. Add the sugar and salt and let it simmer with its lid on.
3 cups Orange Juice, 2 tbsp Sugar, Salt to Taste
Once the water has been absorbed completely and the rice has been cooked completely, add the fried cashew nuts and raisins and give the rice a gentle stir using a fork or chopsticks. Serve hot.
1 cup Water

Notes

Remember the proportion of Orange Rice would be always one cup less than double the amount of Rice used in the recipe. So,

For 4 cups rice, Orange Juice would be 4×2=8 minus 1 cup. i.e. 7 cups of Orange Juice.
For 5 cups rice, it would be 5X2=10 minus 1 cup. i.e. 9 cups of Orange Juice

1 cup of Water is fixed.

Keyword Gluten Free Recipes, Orange, Rice Dishes, Vegan Recipes