Vegetable Pulao

All of us must have tasted the different versions of Pulao. A very common dish in all parties and potlucks. It is a great way to use all your vegetables and makes a complete healthy meal with raitha. So here is my own version of vegetable pulao.

Ingredients -
For the Raitha -
1 finely chopped Onions
1 finely chopped tomato
1 carrot grated
1/2 finely chopped cucumber
2 green chillies chopped
1 cup of beaten yogurt
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves for garnishing

For the Pulao -
Cut vegetables of your choice (preferably carrots, beans, cauliflower, potato, peas, onion, tomato)
1 cup of basmati rice
1.5 cups of water
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
2-3 cloves
1 cardamom
1 bay leaf
A pinch of turmeric powder
1 tsp red chilly powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp garam masala powder
1/2 tsp biriyani masala
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 tbsp ghee
5-6 cashews for garnishing
2 tsps of oil
Salt to tasteCoriander leaves for garnishing

Procedure -
For the raitha, mix all the cut vegetables, green chillies with beaten yogurt and salt just before serving. Garnish with coriander leaves.

For the pulao,
1. Soak the basmati rice in 1.5 cups of water for 10 mins. Heat the oil in a pressure cooker. Add mustard seeds and cumin seeds, allow them to splutter.
2. Add the cloves, cinnamon stick, bay leaf, cardamom and saute for 30 seconds.
3. Add the ginger garlic paste and cut onions, saute for a minute.
4. Add the rest of the vegetables and saute it for 1 minute (vegetables should not become limp)
5. Add the dry masala powders, salt and ensure that they are incorporated well with the vegetables.
6. Add the soaked rice along with water to the cooker and mix well.
7. Now pressure cook the mixture for one whistle and allow it to cool.
8. Saute 5-6 cashews in ghee and garnish the pulao along with coriander leaves.
9. Serve hot with raitha.

Tips -
You can also fry cubes of paneer in ghee along with cashews and add it just before serving.

Palak Akki Rotti

Many of us would be familiar with 'Akki rotti'. For those who dont know, here is a very easy recipe with a twist for a type of roti made of rice flour, famous in Karnataka.

Ingredients -
2 cups of Rice flour
1 finely chopped onion
1 bunch finely chopped Spinach/Palak3 green chillies finely chopped
1 carrot grated (optional)
1/4 cup grated coconut (optional)
10 springs of cilantro finely chopped
1 tsp of cumin seeds
A generous pinch of hing
1 cup of Water
Salt to taste
2-3 tbsp of Oil

Method -
1. Mix all the ingredients except oil, adding warm water little by little and knead it into a dough tougher than the chapathi dough.
2. Smear a tava with few drops of oil.
3. Pat a handful of dough on the tava using your hands, forming a thick roti.
4. Pinch few holes in the center of the rotti and pour few drops of oil on them.
5. Keep the tava on the stove and cover it with a lid. Cook on medium flame.
6. When the roti starts turning light brown on the sides and near the center, remove it from the flame.
Delicious Palak Akki Rotti is ready. Serve it with coconut chutney or any curry of your choice.

Tips -
1. Tastes delicious with eggplant 'yennegai', another famous recipe from Karnataka. (Will post the recipe for that soon :) )
2.Hyacinth beans can also be added after boiling them, during the season, to make delicious avarekaalu rotti.
3. Also optionally, finely chopped green capsicum and/or dill leaves can be added to make rotti.