Simple Vegetable Pulao

Serving Size : 6 persons

You’ll need:

• 2 cups Basmati Rice
• 3 cups of water
• 2 cups of mixed chopped “pulao kind” vegetables (I used carrot, green beans, green peas and yellow bell pepper)
• 1 small yellow/white onion, sliced
• 3 green chilies/jalapenos, slit (adjust to your taste)
• 4 cloves
• 2 inch stick of cinnamon bark
• 4 pods of green cardamom
• 2 small or 1 large dried bay leaf
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp ghee (optional)
• Salt to taste

Method:

• Wash and soak the rice in water for about 30 minutes.
• In the meantime, chop the vegetables and thaw green peas if using frozen.
• Heat the oil and ghee in a pot and add the whole spices – cloves, cinnamon, whole cardamoms and bay leaves.
• Stir for a few seconds, taking care not to scorch them.
• Add the sliced onions and green chilies. Sauté until onion is just transparent. Do not brown them!
• Add the rest of the chopped vegetables, season with salt, stir and cover the pot. Let the vegetables soften just a tad, about 4 minutes on medium heat.
• Now turn up the heat to High and add the soaked rice along with the water into the pot. Stir well to combine.
• Let this whole mixture come to a rolling boil on high heat. Leave it on for 5 minutes.
• When the water seems to have evaporated quite a bit and the rice grains look plump, turn down the heat to low (I set it to 3 on my gas mark), gently mix, cover the pot and let the pulao cook, about 12 minutes or so, until the rice and vegetables are cooked through.
• Fluff with a fork and serve with raita or simple dal.