Vegetable Pulav

This is a recipe from my Mom's kitchen and a favorite of my hubby! Whenever we visit my parents, this dish will surely feature in the dinner menu...some understanding between MIL and SIL ;-)! For him, it tastes best only when my mom makes and is never the same when I make:-( Well, that's what they call the Mothers Magic Touch!  It is made with very little masala, is very light on the tummy and so full of veggies and as always, makes in a jiffy....truly...believe me...ha ha ha


Ingredients:


2-3 cups of Veggies slit length wise(potato, carrot, capsicum, cauliflower, beans, green peas)
1 medium onion finely slit
5-6 green chillies slit length wise
1 cup basmati rice(long grain)
2 tsp ghee ( clarified butter)
1 tsp oil
1 tsp ginger garlic paste (optional)
1 bay leaf
1 clove
1/2 tsp Saunf
1/2 inch cinnamon
4-5 Cashews (optional)
Salt to taste


Prep time: 15 mins                Cook time: 30 mins

Preparation:


- Wash and soak the basmati rice in water for about 15mins.
- Meanwhile, slit the veggies length wise and the onion and chillies.

Cooking:


- Heat a pan and add the ghee. On heating, add the saunf, bayleaf, clove, cinnamon and cashews. On roasting, drain the water off the rice and add the rice.
- Fry the rice for a minute or two and transfer to the rice cooker.

- In the same pan, now add the oil and on heating add the onions and green chillies.
- To this add the ginger garlic paste after a few seconds and saute the onions till they turn translucent.
- Now add the remaining veggies and add salt as desired. Fry this for 3 to 4 mins.
- Add the veggies to the rice cooker. The rice is already added to the cooker.
- Now add 1-1/2 cups of water to the rice cooker and mix the rice and veggies.
- Switch on the cooker and your Pulav would be ready in 20 mins!

Footnote:


- If you use pressure cooker, just give 2 whistles and wait for the steam to escape before opening the cooker.
- The rice to water measure for basmati is 1 cup rice is to 1-1/2 cup water.