Vegetable Pulao

A simple vegetable pulav is lightly fragrant and packed with all the flavors you would love to enjoy. This is an easy one pot meal for those lazy days when you are not in a mood of cooking. The wonderful color of the pulav is ‘coz of the red, juicy beets added. The aromatic mint leaves carry the taste of this dish to an entire new level. You may also add few cashew nuts, paneer, soya chucks to fit your taste buds.

Ingredients
1 cup rice
1 cup mixed vegetables (I used potato, carrot, beetroot, green peas)
1 medium onion chopped
2 green chilies
1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
1 bay leaf
¼ tsp shahjeera/ black cumin (optional)
Few mint leaves
Fresh coriander, chopped
1 tbsp oil
1 tbsp clarified butter / ghee
For paste:
1/4 tsp poppy seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
½ tsp cumin seeds
2 cloves
2 cardamom pods
½” cinnamon
1 tbsp grated fresh coconut (may use desiccated coconut also)

Method

• Soak all the ingredients (under ‘paste’ column) for 15 minutes and grind to a smooth paste.
• Rinse and soak rice for 30 minutes.
• Heat oil and ghee in a pressure cooker.
• Add black cumin, let them splutter. Now add bay leaf, chopped onion, slit green chili, mint leaves and sauté until onion turn golden brown.
• Add the vegetables and sauté for 2 minutes. Through in ginger garlic paste and fry till raw flavor is gone. Then add ground masala paste, and saute for 1 minute.
• Tip in the strained rice, mix well and now add 1 ½ cups of water. Season with salt, cover with lid and let it cook for 3 whistles.
• Once all the steam escapes, open the lid, add chopped coriander and cover for few seconds.
• Mix well and serve hot with onion raita or it tastes best just like that.