It is also a full meal by its own.Pulav is lighty fried with clarified butter/ghee or Oil,so that each rich keral is coated and then is steamed with other veggies nuts spices etc.
Ingredients of Vegetable Pulao
1. Chopped Onions — 1/2 Cup
2. Chopped Tomatoes — 1/2 Cup
3. Cauliflower (Flowerettes) — 1/2 Cup
4. Carrot Chunks, Cut Beans, Shelled Peas — 1/3 Cup
5. Grated Coconut — 1/2 Cup
6. Mint Leaves — 1/4 Cup
7. Ginger, Garlic — 1 tsp (Chopped Finely)
8. Green Chilli — 3 to 4
9. Cilantro — 1/4 Cup
10. Garam Masala, Red Chilli Powder — 1/2 tsp
11. Uncooked Rice — 2 Cups ( For each cup of rice add 1 1/4 cup of water)
12. Bay leaves — 6
13. Cinnamon Sticks — Two 1 inch sticks
14. Cardamon — 4
Method:
1. Grind Coconut, Mint, Garlic, Ginger, Green Chilli, Cilantro, Garam Masala & Red Chilli Powder together with little water.
2. Soak rice in water for 10 minutes and drain.Take a tbsp of oil in a pan and add a tsp of Cummin Seeds. When the oil is hot, add rice and fry for a while. (It is not necessary to fry the rice if the rice is basmathi.)
3. Now, Add two tbsp of oil to the cooker and heat it. Add little Cummin seeds, Cinnamon, Cardamon and Bay leaves. Stir and add the chopped onions. Fry until the onions start turning brown. Mix in the tomatoes and the ground paste. Fry for a minute and add the vegetables. Now add the rice and water. Cook in the cooker and allow it to whistle once or twice(It can also be cooked directly in a covered pan).
1. Chopped Onions — 1/2 Cup
2. Diced carrots, beans, cauliflower florets, peas – each 1/2 cup
3. Green Chilli, finely chopped — 3 to 4
4. Garam Masala- 1/2 tsp
5. Uncooked Rice — 2 Cups ( For each cup of rice add 1 1/4 cup of water)
6. Bay leaves — 5
7. Cinnamon Sticks — Two 1 inch sticks
8. Cardamon — 4
9. Cloves – 5
10. Dried red chilies - 3
11. Cumin seeds – 1 tsp.
12. Ghee/oil – 3 tsp.
13. Salt to taste
For Garnishing
1. Chopped Coriander – 1/4 Cup
2. 8-10 broken cashews
3. Few raisins
Method of Vegetable Pulao
1. Heat oil/ghee in a pan. Add cinnamon, cardamon, cloves, dried red chilies, bay leaf and cumin seeds and fry for a minute.
2. Add onions and fry till they are soft and translucent.
4. Now add the mixed vegetables and fry for a while.
5. Add garam masala, chopped green chilies and fry for a couple of minutes.
7. Now add the washed and drained rice and fry for 2 -3 mins.Now add the required amount of salt and water and cook on low heat untill all the water is absorbed.(I add 1½ cups of water for 1 cup of basmati rice. I cook mine in rice cooker most of the times, you can use your own convenient method for cooking the rice). In preparing Vegetable Pulav the correct amount of water helps to prepare Vegetable pulav with the right taste.
8. Garnish with chopped coriander, cashews and raisins.