Vegetable Pulao Recipe - Ingredients
Preparation Time : 30 mins | Cooking Time : 20 mins | Serves : 2
Recipe Category: Main | Recipe Cuisine: South Indian
Recipe Category: Main | Recipe Cuisine: South Indian
Basmati Rice - 1/2 cup
Big Onion - 1 small sized finely chopped
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tsp
Mixed Vegetables - 1/2 cup
Water - 3 cups
Roasted Jeera Powder - 1/8 tsp
Garam Masala Powder - 1/8 tsp
Mint Leaves - few
Coriander Leaves - few to garnish
Ghee - 1 tsp + 1 tsp
Cashews - 10
Salt - to taste
To temper:
Oil - 1/2 tbspJeera - 1/2 tsp
For the spice mixture:
Cinnamon - 1/4 inch pieceCloves - 2
Cardamom - 1 whole
Pepper Corns - 1/2 tsp
Star Anise - a small piece
Method:
- Soak basmati rice for 15mins.Cook rice in a pot along with bayleaf, a small piece of staranise,2 cloves,cinnamon and a cardamom.Let it cook.
- Meanwhile gather all the spices, dry roast for 3mins until nice aroma rises.Then grind it to a semi coarse powder.
- You may not end up using the powder fully, I reserved 1/2 tsp and added the rest.Once rice is cooked soft, strain the excess water(if any I didnt do) then spread it on a plate and fluff it up with a fork and let it cool down.
- Steam cook the veggies for 8-10mins until the veggies are slightly soft yet crunchy enough to bite.Set aside.In a nonstick pan - heat oil add jeera and let it crackle then add ginger garlic paste, onion and fry for a minute then add the spice mixture along with roasted jeera powder,garam masala powder.Add required salt.Give a quick saute.
- While the onions get fried , fry the cashews in ghee till golden brown and set aside.Now in the pan add the veggies and saute for 2mins.Then add the cooked rice.Cook covered for 2mins.
- Give a quick stir.Garnish with coriander leaves and mint leaves.Mix well until the leaves slightly shrink.Finally add ghee and fried cashews.Switch off.
My Notes:
- Cooking the basmati rice to perfection is the key to a great pulao both taste and lookwise :) so be careful while cooking.Soaking and cooking gives softer grains and it doesn't break easily.
- If you cook the rice in pot method, use water quantity aptly, if you strain the excess water the flavour of basmati rice will also go with water itself so measure and add water accordingly.
- For pressure cooker method I use 1:1.5 cups of water and pressure cook for 3 whistles in low medium flame.But I recommend pot method to get the apt restaurant flavour.
- I just made it for me and hubby alone so measured only half cup, you can double the ingredients as per your family needs.
- You can even use other vegetables like cauliflower,baby corn ,sweet corn etc.
- Don't skip mint and coriander leaves and add it only at the last stage after rice is added.
- I just added cashews but if you like sweet taste ghee fry raisins and add it too.
- I added all the spices to get a very mild flavour.
- Freshly ground spice mixture adds a great flavour to the pulao.
- If you grind in excess you can store in a clean container and use it as and when required.As I used very little spices I used my mortar and pestle to hand grind it as the small quantity will not run in mixie.
- You can even use 1/4 cup coconutmilk while cooking rice.
