Vegetable Pulao

I was staying as a PG (paying guest) during my graduation days & my PG aunt used to serve us pulao as breakfast in the mornings to keep our tummy filled till noon. She was a very nice lady & she used to serve us as if we were her own children. Not to forget she was a very good chef & her native was Puttur/Kundapur (I don’t remember exactly). It was those graduation days when I was first introduced to the south canara food. I tasted pathrode, many varieties of dosas at her home. Oh! I can talk about my PG aunt for hours. We shall talk more about her sometime later. Now, I intend to cut it short & let you all know the vegetable pulao recipe learnt by her.

Ingredients:
1 cup chopped vegetables (cauliflower, potatoes, French beans, carrots, peas, corn etc)
2 cups basmati rice
1 medium sized onion sliced
1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
1 tsp powdered cinnamon
4 cloves
3 cardamom
2 bay leaves
3 green chilies slit
Salt according to taste.
3 tbsp butter/ghee/oil
½ tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp mustard seeds
4 cups water

Method:

• Heat butter in a broad pan.
• When butter is hot, add cumin seeds & mustard seeds. When mustard seeds splutter, add bay leaves, powdered cinnamon, cardamom, cloves & fry for 20-30 secs
• Add ginger-garlic paste & sauté well. Add onions & fry till onion turns golden brown.
• Add green chillies, chopped vegetables & mix well. Allow the vegetables to be cooked in butter for sometime (Keep stirring to avoid the vegetables from sticking to the pan & getting burnt).
• Add water, salt & bring the mixture to a boil (Simmer the flame to ensure vegetables are cooked & soft)
• Meantime, wash the basmati rice & soak it. Drain the water & just keep the wet basmati rice. (If you soak in water for long time, the grains break & pulao would become sticky).
• When water starts boiling, add basmati rice & cover the lid to ensure proper cooking of the rice.
• Mix the rice in between only once. When the grains are separate & all water evaporates, turn of the flame & keep the pulao covered for a minute.
• Mix the pulao gently & serve it hot with a spicy raitha.