Vegetable Pulao

Ingredients

• 1.5 cup Basmati Rice
• 3 Cup MiX Vegetables (check notes)
• 1/2 cup Cottage cheese / Paneer (optional)
• 12 leaves Fresh Mint / Hara Pudina
• 10 Cashew Nuts / Kaju
• 10 Raisins / Kishmish
• 4 tbsp Yogurt/Curd
• 1 tbsp Ginger / Adrak (juliennes)
• 2 Green Chillies / Hari Mirch
• 1 tsp Rose Water / Gulab Jal (optional)
• 1/2 tsp garam masala/ Biryani Masala
• 1.5 tsp Salt / Namak
• 1 tsp Red Chili Powder/ Laal Mirch
• 1 tsp Lemon Juice / Nimbu Ka Ras
• 5 tbsp Cooking oil or ghee
• 1 tsp Cumin Seeds / Sabut Jeera
• 4 Cloves / Lavang
• 4 Green Cardamom / Hari Elaichi
• 2 Black Cardamom / Badi Elaichi
• 2 Bay Leaves / Tej Patta
• 10 Peppercorns / Sabut Kali Mirch
• 1/2 inch Cinnamon /daalchini
• 1/2 Mace/ Javitri
• 12 threads Saffron / Kesar (optional)

Instructions

1. 1

   Wash rice 2-3 times and then soak for 30 minutes in enough water .Instead of basmati rice you can choose any long or short grain rice of your choice.

2. 2

   Take saffron in a glass bowl,cover and heat it for 30 seconds to make it crisp.Take out and crush it and soak in 2 tbls of milk .

3. 3

   Chop mix vegetables- carrots ,beans,cauliflower,capsicum(or any vegetable of your choice) into small pieces and wash peas and corn kernels.slit green chillies lengthwise.

4. 4

   Crush and open both the cardamoms and take out the seeds.

5. 5

   Heat oil in a pan add ghee (you can also use oil ,but ghee gives a very nice flavour to any rice preparation )When ghee become warm add all the tempering ingredients and cashews and saute till golden in colour.

6. 6

   Drain water from the rice, and add rice,raisins and slit green chillies in the ghee and saute gently for few seconds.

7. 7

   Now add curd and all the vegetables,saute for few secondsAdd salt,chili powder , garam masala, lemon juice,mint leaves, ginger slices, paneer and 3 cups of warm water.(you can add pinch of turmeric if you want to make it yellow pulao)

8. 8

   When water start boiling,lower the heat and cover with the lid and cook till 90% done.

9. 9

   Open the pan and sprinkle the saffron milk, rose water and 1 tbsp ghee and cover again and cook till fully done.

10. 10

    When done, switch off the flame and then after 5 minutes open the lid and let it cool down completely otherwise it may overcook due to the heat and steam build up inside

11. 11

    Gently fluff the rice after 10 minutes and serve hot.

12. 12

    OR If you are using a pressure cooker then add 2.5 cups of water and pressure cook for 1 whistle on medium heat and let it cool down completely then open the cooker and fluff gently using a fork.

13. 13

    Serve Pulao with salad, raita,curd and mirchi ka salan