Loaded with flavours, this Afghani parda pulao is a wholesome dish

A fluffy bread that can be sliced open to eat the aromatic pulao filling in it! Afghani parda pulao is a beautiful dish that often intrigues followers of food-based social media handles, whenever you chance upon it. Ever wondered what it tastes like? Here's an easy recipe to try it out at home:

Ingredients
For the rice
2 cups basmati rice
2 black cardamoms
4 cinnamon sticks
5 regular cardamoms
2 bay leaves
4 cloves
½ tsp caraway seeds
3 nutmegs
2 tbsp sunflower oil
Salt as required
For the dough
2 cups all purpose flour
¼ tsp baking soda
Salt as required
1/5 tsp yoghurt
2 tsp oil
For the masala
¼ cup mint leaves
¼ cup coriander leaves
10 garlic cloves
2 tbsp ginger
½ tsp fennel seeds
½ tsp caraway seeds
3 green chilies
For the gravy
2 cups tomatoes
1 tbsp watermelon seeds
10 cashews
For the koftas
500 gms paneer
200 gms potatoes
½ cup onions
1 tsp chili powder
¼ tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp Bombay biryani masala
1 tbsp kasuri methi or dried fenugreek leaves
Salt as required
3 tbsp corn flour
For the garnish
3 cups onions
¼ cup oil
¼ cup ghee
10 cashews
¼ cup raisins
1.5 tsp biryani masala
1 tsp chili powder
1 tbsp kasuri methi
2 tbsp saffron soaked in milk
2 tsp sesame seeds

Preparation
Soak the basmati rice for at least 15 minutes
Meanwhile, boil water with some salt and whole spices
Add the soaked rice
When the rice is almost cooked, sprinkle some oil
Take the half cooked rice off the flame and strain
Mix the all purpose flour with rest of the ingredients
Add enough water and mix into dough
Grind mint leaves and coriander leaves in a mixer jar
Blend tomatoes, watermelon seeds and cashews too
To make koftas, mash the boiled potatoes
Into it add mashed paneer, mint and tomato paste, chili powder, turmeric powder, biryani masala, dried fenugreek leaves and salt
Mix well
If this mix is too loose, add some rice powder or bread crumbs
Make small balls from this
Mix corn flour in some water
Dip the kofta balls in corn flour slurry
Fry the koftas in hot oil
Heat oil in a pan
Fry cashews and raisins
Set them aside to be used later
Add some more oil
Fry the onions; set them aside
Heat oil and add the rest of mint – tomato mixture
Sauté until the raw smell is gone
Into it add fried onions too
Add biryani masala, chili powder and dried fenugreek leaves
Mix well and cook for a minute
Save some of this gravy to be mixed in the rice
Sprinkle saffron milk too in the rice mixed with gravy
Add the kofta balls in the remaining gravy.