For rice lovers -Vegetable Pulao

I hate rice. I eat rice one time a day with great difficulty. Give me idli, dosa, vada, poori, roti, bread, chaat anytime of the day, anything except rice! The only thing J and I share in common is our hatred for rice! What is even torture is rice items for breakfast :| When I got married, my MIL made pulao for breakfast and I gulped it down in 5 mins flat with a big glass of milk!! Even though it was tasty, rice and morning kinda don't go together, you know what I mean? :P

But to me, her pulao is the best and till date I follow her pulao recipe -- i.e., when we have the once in a blue moon rice mela in my house! Today is one such day, lets get started shall we?

Vegetable Pulao:

1 C rice

1.5 C water

1/2 tsp jeera

5-6 cashew nuts halved

1/4 C (each) chopped veges - I use the usual beans, carrot, peas, capsicum, turnip

1 onion thinly sliced

1 tsp chopped ginger

3-4 Tbsp lemon juice

few sprigs of coriander leaves

Pulao masala:

1 tsp khus-khus

1.5 tsp coriander seeds

1 tsp jeera

1 inch stick cinnamon

3 cloves

1 elachi

3-4 green chillies

2 Tbsp coconut

Grind the above to a fine powder with no water. There is no need to roast any of the ingredients.

1) Heat 1 tsp ghee and 2 tbsp oil, in a pressure cooker add 1/2 tsp jeera and 5-6 cashews. Saute.

2) When the cashews turn golden add the onions and saute till soft.

3) Add the ginger and the vegetables mix well.

4) Add the masala and saute for 1 -2 min.

5) Turn the heat to medium and add water and salt mix and cover the cooker.

6) When you see steam raising, add the rice. Turn the heat to low and cover, place the weight and cook for 10mins. I got this tip from Namrata's blog. I never get mushy rice!

7) Once it cools down, open the lid add the lemon juice and coriander leaves and mix.

This is a pukka southie pulao. Its heavily flavoured and tastes very different from the usual pulaos. God knows where my MIL got this one from!!

You need a raitha to go with it no?

Cucumber tomato raitha:

1/2 cucumber diced

1/2 tomato diced

1/2 tsp grated ginger

1 green chilli chopped

1 Tbsp peanuts, roasted, deskinned and crushed

1 cup thick yogurt

salt to taste

Chopped coriander

Mix them all together and serve.

This next picture is exclusively for Mr. J who has abandoned his wife on a Friday evening. So there, J ask Mrs. Dell PC to cook for you, I am having dinner.

Vegetable Pilaf A La SJ

Its 6pm already?!

Rice or roti? Had roti yesterday. What do I make with rice? Sambar? nah, gojju? nah, Lemon rasam? Made that just three days ago...nah. Lets see what the ice-box has shall we? Drags herself to the kitchen, opens the refrigerator.

Hmm... comatose capsicum, oh my! those methi leaves are in real bad shape, what do I do with them? Scratches head...bites nail...scratch head again 10mins pass by...

Mmm...maybe its better order Chinese or call Pizza hut..mmmm, pizzaaa...

"Have you gained weight? you look kinda plump..." J's very 'concerned' comment brought me back from my cheese dreamland.

I threw out the pizza hut plans, and continued rummaging the refrigerator.

Ah, 1 tomato- little soft on one side bah who cares just cut that section out. Finally, something that looks healthy- 1 carrot. Just mix all this with some ginger-garlic paste, some spice and dump the rice and give it a fancy name - Vegetable Pilaf a la SJ and dinner is a done deal.

you need,

1 cup rice- cooked till soft, not mushy still separate

1 big bunch methi leaves rough chopped

1/2 onion sliced

2 tomatoes chopped

1 big carrot grated

1 capsicum chopped (you can add red bell peppers and baby corn)

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

1/2 tsp garam masala

1/2 tsp sugar

lemon juice

1 inch ginger, 2 garlic cloves and 4 green chilles- blend this to a fine paste

1 tsp saunf

1) Heat oil in a pan and add the saunf, when it splutters, add the onions and capsicum. Cook till soft

2) add the ginger-garlic-green chilli paste and saute for 2 mins

3) Add the tomatoes and cook till soft

4) add the methi leaves, sugar, red chilli powder, garam masala and salt. Cook till the leaves wilt.

5) add the grated carrots mix well

6) add the rice, mix and adjust the seasonings.

7) Take the pan off the heat and add 3-4 tsp lemon juice (adjust this to your taste)

It does not need any fancy raita, plain curds goes very well this. And its supposed to look real fresh and green, but my methi leaves were in real bad shape (I am talking withered and unrecognizable!).

The real name of this dish is carrot-methi pulao. Its my moms dish, she ain't going to sue me for changing the name!