Spicy Vegetable Pulao

Vegetable Pulao is easy and quick one pot meal on a lovely spring day. I love spring and hope the weather stays good for the next few days as well. This pulao is a regular quick lunch box recipe that I pack for my husband. When I pressure cook the pulao my veggies gets soft, but I always wonder how it's crunchy in the restaurants. Then I found the trick, pressure cooking softens the vegetables, so I made the pulao in a kadai, the veggies were crunchy and so flavorful as in the restaurants. I loved it & it was so yummy :) 

                          

Ingredients 

• Basmati rice - 1cup 
• Chopped veggies like carrot, beans, green pea - 1 1/4 cups
• Cauliflower - 4-5 florets 
• Onion (finely sliced) - 1
• Cilantro (chopped) - 2tbsp
• Water - 1 1/2 cup
• Salt as needed 
• Ghee - 1tbsp
• Oil - 1tbsp

To grind

• Green chillies (slit into two) - 3
• Garlic cloves - 4
• Mint - few 
• Cilantro (chopped)- few
• Fennel seeds - 1tsp
• Cloves - 2
• Cardamom - 2
• Cinnamon - 1 stick 

To temper 

• Jeera - 1tsp 
• Bay leaf - 1 

Method

• Soak basmati rice in hot water atleast for half an hour.
• Grind the items given under "to grind" table with little water into smooth paste. 
• Heat kadai with oil:ghee and add jeera, bay leaf.
• When jeera splutters. Add onion and fry till transparent pink color in medium flame, then add the ground paste.  Fry till raw smell goes. 

                          

• Then add veggies and saute in medium flame for 2 minutes.
• Add the rice drained from water. Mix well. 
• Now add salt and water, bring to boiling point. 
• Close the kadai lid and cook in low flame for about 15-20 minutes.
• Once done switch off the flame and leave it undisturbed for about 10 minutes. 

                            

• Now open and fluff the pulao with a fork carefully without breaking the rice.
• Vegetable pulao is ready to be served with rich gravy or raita of your choice or even chips. 

                                    

Tips

• Soaking rice in hot water will give less water consumption while cooking.
• You can also add coconut milk or milk instead of water.
• Adding milk will give richness to the rice. 
• You can also add sweet corn.   

     

Potato Fry / Urilai Kilangu Varuval

                         

We all love potatoes, don't we? I often prepare potato fry but was wondering why we haven't posted this simple recipe in our blog. Potato fry is an unbeatable combination when had with rasam or curd rice. It goes well with other rice dishes like sambar, coconut, lemon rice or bisi bele bath.

There are 'N' number of potato recipes but this is a simple and basic potato recipe for a lazy day in your kitchen ;)

Ingredients

• Potato - 3-4 
• Sambar powder - 2tbsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/4tsp 
• Mustard seeds - 1tsp
• Urad dhal - 1/2tsp
• Asafoetida - a pinch 
• Curry leaves - few 
• Salt - as needed 
• Oil - as needed

Method

• Peel the skin off potatoes and cut into small strips. 
• Now transfer the cut potatoes into a bowl of water. This is to avoid the decolouration of potatoes. 
• In a pan heat oil, temper with mustard seeds, urad dhal, curry leaves and asafoetida. 
• Add potatoes and mix well. 
• Then add turmeric powder, sambar powder and salt. Mix well. 
• Roast the potatoes in medium flame for about 10-15 minutes. Saute in between to avoid burning.
• Potato fry is ready to be served with rice of your choice. 

Tips

• You can replace sambar powder with red chilli powder.
• If you are immersing in water, drain the excess water and pat dry them with kitchen towel before using. 

                                       

  linking party
pin-junkie-pin-party|foodie-friday|fridays-unfolded