The Train Journey Pulao That Tastes Like Friendship

I had once written about my amma’s version of Pulao, the kind that tastes like childhood, comfort, and Sunday afternoons at home. [You can find it in the blog under Archives -> September 2025 ^_^]

But this one?

This one tastes like friendship.

This is not just a pulao recipe to me. It is a memory wrapped inside a train journey, a wedding in Odisha, late-night conversations, fearless friendships, and the kind of laughter that only happens when you travel with someone who knows your soul a little too well.

The friend I’m talking about is also the same friend who slowly brought me closer to Lord Krishna in her own way. Some people enter your life loudly. Some quietly change it forever.

She belongs to the second category.

This was before her marriage. Her family had already left ahead for her cousin’s wedding in Odisha, and we had planned to travel together later by train from Hyderabad. I went to her place the previous evening, stayed over, and we both woke up ridiculously early the next morning because our train was around 9 AM.

And trust me, if there is one thing working women somehow magically know how to do, it is creating full meals before sunrise as if it’s nothing.

By 5:30 in the morning, she had already started planning our food for the long journey.

“Poori will stay well,” she said.
“And pulao also. Rice survives travel.”

That sentence alone deserves respect.

While I was still trying to wake up properly, she had already heated mustard oil in the cooker and started roasting spices. The entire kitchen slowly filled with this warm aroma of cumin, cloves, cinnamon, and mustard oil — a smell I still somehow associate with her.

Even today, when I try making this pulao, I never fully recreate that taste.

Maybe because recipes are not just ingredients. They are people.

Maybe it was the mustard oil she used. Maybe it was the excitement of travel. Maybe it was friendship. Maybe it was youth.

Or maybe food simply tastes different when made by someone you love deeply.

We packed the poori, curry, and the pulao carefully and rushed to catch our train. And honestly, train journeys with friends deserve their own separate chapter in life.

Flights may save time. Buses may be convenient. But train journeys?

Train journeys create memories.

The gossip, the chai, the random snacks, the endless conversations, the people watching, the laughter that gets louder after sunset — it feels like life pauses for a little while.

And then came one of the funniest moments.

She made me stand near the train door while the train was moving.

I was terrified.

Absolutely terrified.

Meanwhile, she stood there like some fearless warrior enjoying the wind dramatically while I held onto my life, convinced I would fall off at any moment. She laughed, pulled me back in, and continued behaving as if standing near moving train doors was the most normal thing in the world.

To this day, she remains the fearless one.

And me?

I remain scared of trains, water, lizards, and honestly, half of life.

But somehow, friendships like these make even fear feel warm.

That entire Odisha trip still plays in my head like a movie sometimes. The wedding processions. Dancing on the roads during the baraat like there was no tomorrow. Watching traditions I had never seen before. Seeing the emotions of the bride’s family. Eating endless curries with very little rice while I quietly searched for extra rice like a true rice-loving South Indian.

And through all of that — this pulao stayed with us.

Simple. Comforting. Easy to pack. Easy to make. Full of flavor.

Even now, whenever life gets busy and I need something quick yet comforting, I make this pulao.

And somehow, every single time, it takes me back.

Back to that train.
Back to Odisha.
Back to friendship.
Back to the girl who helped me with makeup because I still don’t know how to do it properly.
Back to the version of me that laughed louder, feared openly, danced freely, and carried home entire memories through the smell of rice cooked in mustard oil.

Maybe that is why I love food stories so much.

Because sometimes a simple pulao becomes proof that people leave pieces of themselves in the recipes they share with us.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup basmati rice or regular rice
• 1½ cups water for basmati rice
• 2 cups water for regular rice
• 2–3 tablespoons mustard oil
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon garam masala powder
• Optional: little biryani masala powder
• 2–3 cloves
• 1 small cinnamon stick
• 1–2 green cardamoms
• A pinch of asafoetida
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 potato, chopped
• Few beans, chopped
• Optional: 1 onion, sliced
• 1 tomato, chopped
• Salt to taste
• Coriander leaves for garnish

Instructions:

1. Wash and soak the rice for about 15–20 minutes.
2. Heat mustard oil in a pressure cooker.
3. Add bay leaf, cumin seeds, cloves, cinnamon, and cardamom. Roast gently without burning the spices.
4. Add turmeric powder, chilli powder, garam masala, optional biryani masala, and a pinch of asafoetida.
5. Add onions if using and sauté lightly.
6. Add carrots, potatoes, beans, and tomatoes. Roast everything gently until the tomatoes soften slightly without turning mushy.
7. Pour in water according to the rice you are using and let it come to a light boil.
8. Add salt and soaked rice.
9. Garnish with coriander if preferred.
10. Close the cooker and cook for 1 whistle on high flame. Then reduce to the lowest flame for a few minutes and switch it off.
11. Let the pressure release naturally before opening.
12. Serve hot with curry, raita, or simply enjoy it as it is.

Srishti’s Secret Tip for the Perfect Plate:

A slightly generous amount of mustard oil helps keep the rice beautifully grainy and adds that comforting homemade aroma that makes this pulao unforgettable.

Srishti’s Healing Tip for the Perfect Plate:

Some recipes don’t just feed us.
They quietly carry people, places, laughter, train journeys, weddings, and younger versions of ourselves back into our lives for a few minutes.

And sometimes, that kind of remembering is healing too. ✨

Why You’ll Love This:

• One-pot comforting meal
• Travel-friendly and easy to pack
• Light yet flavorful
• Perfect for busy days
• Smells absolutely heavenly
• Filled with warmth, nostalgia, and friendship ✨