RESTAURANT STYLE SPICY VEGETABLE PULAO - A weekend delight !

I realized that I have no rice recipes in my space. So finally I decided to go for this Vegetable Pulao recipe. I had prepared this quite sometime back and had not noticed it until today.

Pulao always remains our Family's favorite dish and my mother would religiously make it for us during all the weekends. Amma is an expert in Pulao making and I still crave for Mom made Pulao. My Parents, Brother and myself always looked forward to the Pulao weekends and we enjoyed eating it with lots of Onion and Cucumber Raitha . 




Amma fondly remembers Mumtaaz Aunty ( Our neighbor in Hyderabad) who came to her aid when her first Pulao making session as a new bride became a disaster. She learnt the Pulao/ Biriyani making basics from Mumtaaz Aunty  and follows her tips till date. 

This spicy Pulao recipe has evolved over years and has now become a standardized recipe back home. I implement few tricks that I learnt from my Professors and also from couple of Chefs whom I could interact during my College Internship and Training programs. 


This Pulao has lots of Vegetables and I am sure you ll feel full after two good servings. Besides this, you can also prepare the recipe quite quickly as I have not adopted the open pan cooking method for rice. 
Read on for the recipe. 


Preparation Time: 20 mins                    
Cooking Time : 30- 35 min    
Cuisine:  Indian    
Spice level: Spicy
Difficulty level: Medium                    
Serves: 4
Source: Mumtaaz Aunty

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 cups of Basmathi rice or any long grained rice ( refer notes for cooking tips)
VEGETABLES
  • 3 Big Onions julienned
  • 2 big Carrots julienned
  • 10 Beans julienned
  • 1 big Green Pepper julienned
  • 1 small cup of fresh shelled green peas / frozen ( refer notes for cooking tips)
SPICE PASTE
Grind to a coarse paste:
  • A fistful of shallots, peeled and cleaned ( 8 nos roughly)
  • 4 to 5 cloves of garlic
  • 1 inch piece ginger
  • A fistful of fresh mint leaves
  • 4 to 5 Green chillies ( adjust as per requirement)
WHOLE SPICES and FLAVORINGS
  • 3 to 4 Cloves
  • 1/4 tsp Fennel seeds
  • 2 Star Aniseed
  • 1 tsp Black cumin seeds
  • 1 inch stick Cinnamon
  • 2 to 4 Green cardamom
  • 1+1 Bay leaf
  • Few saffron strands soaked in 4 to 5 tbsp of milk 
SPICE POWDERS and OTHER INGREDIENTS
  • 1/2 to 1 tsp Garam Masala powder
  • 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp Red Chilli powder ( optional)
  • 2 tbsp Ghee
  • 1 tsp Vanaspathi
  • 2 tsp + 2 tsp of Oil
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 and 1/2 tsp Sugar
FOR GARNISH
  • A fistful of cashew nuts
  • A few raisins
  • Cilantro/ Coriander for garnishing



METHOD

  • Soak Basmathi  rice for just 10 mins. Add 3 cups of water ( ie 1.5 cups of water for 1 cup of rice), salt, 2 cardamoms, 1 bay leaf, 2 cloves and 2 tsp of oil to the rice and water mixture and pressure cook the rice in medium flame until two whistles. Switch off the flame. Once released, spread the cooked rice on a tray or a plate and gently spread it to cool. 
  • The best practice for Pulao or Biriyani preparation is the open pan method of cooking where the rice is cooked along with whole spices, salt and water in a colander. This method yields long separate grains. Since this demands more time, I chose the short cut method.
  • Soak few strands of Saffron in 4 to 5 tbsp of milk and et aside.
  • Heat 2 tsp Oil +2 tbsp Ghee + 1 tsp of Vanaspathi in a Kadai or Wok. 
  • Fry the cashewnuts and raisins first . Remove and set them aside to be added later.
  • Add all the whole spices mentioned under the whole spices list and fry until fragrant.
  • Next add the Onions and saute until it turns golden.
  • Add the freshly ground spice paste and continue to saute until the raw flavor leaves and oil starts leaving the sides. 
  • Your home will simply smell good minutes after this step with the dispersed aroma and you ll have people  next door thinking wants cooking?!! :)
  • Now throw in the Carrots and Beans and saute well for few minutes. 
  • Add just the required salt  for Vegetables and continue cooking. Remember, we have already added salt to rice. 
  • Now add sugar and all the spice powders except garam masala. Add the green peppers and green peas and continue to saute. The vegetables should be cooked but should still retain the shape and look firm.
  • When done, add garam masala powder and saute for 2 mins in high flame. 
  • Simmer the flame and start adding the Basmathi rice in small batches and mix thoroughly until the rice and vegetables are mixed well. 
  • Take care not to be too harsh while doing this. Else the rice granules will break and the outcome of Pulao will be affected and we don t want that to happen. Check for salt and spice now and add if anything is required.
  • Finally add the soaked Saffron + Milk mixture into the Pulao and mix well once more.
  • Close the Kadai with a lid and cook for few more minutes on simmered flame. 
  • Switch off and garnish with chopped coriander leaves, cashew nuts and raisins.
  • Serve hot with Onion , Cucumber or Mixed Vegetable Raita.

NOTES
  • Basmathi rice does not take a long time to cook. So ensure that you switch off the pressure cooker on the go of the second whistle and place the cooker on a cool surface for it to release. Remember that the hot burner will continue to cook the rice and may turn it mushy.
  • Always choose a good brand of Basmathi rice for Pulao preparation. There are numerous brands available in the market. I always prefer the vaccum packed brands that has greater flavour retention as opposed to the loosely available ones.
  • Pulao is best when eaten piping hot in a relaxed manner. So, I suggest the best way to enjoy this rice delicacy is by preparing it on a weekend
  • Adding Vanaspathi will enhance the taste of Pulao and will give you a product similar to the ones you get in restaurants. You can anyway skip it if you have a principle not to use it. The Pulao tastes very good even without it.
  • The fresh spice paste is an absolute taste enhancer to your Pulao. So don t skip this step. Just ensure to adjust the number of chillies according to your family's preference. Omit the red chilli powder if you feel it is too spicy.
  • You can also serve Pulao with some Tomato sauce, Roasted Pappad or Potato Chips in addition to the Raita. 

Comments

  1. Flavorful and delicious pulao..Very tempting dear :) love ur space ..Visit mine too !! Very happy to follow you dear..Will be happy if u follow me back !!


    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you very much for the feedback. Will surely visit your space.

      Delete
  2. i love to eat pulav , one of my favrate dish , done well , i vl also try in ur method , have a luk in my blog , i started 1 mont bak , give any sujetion to improve my blog :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for stopping by Vibha. All the best. Wil sure look into your blog. But can you please give me your blog link? Thank you. Happy cooking

      Delete
  3. Luv pulav.. my all thime fav.. Nice explanation n presentation..
    Do visit my blog too.. happy to follow u, would luv if u reciprocate...

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thanks. For writing. I have sent you an e mail.

    ReplyDelete
  5. lovely pulao... Nice wonderful clicks..

    ReplyDelete
  6. thats some healthy palate. Lovely colours:)

    ReplyDelete
  7. wow..pulav looks simply great. Sri was saying that it was very tasty..They look just like restaurant style..great going Sowmya..

    ReplyDelete
  8. TҺanks foг a marvelous posting! І genuinely enjoyed reading іt, you might be
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    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much for the encouraging words. Will sure do. I wish you have a great weekend. But sorry, I don t get to see your name here. Will visit your page soon.. Best and Happy cooking
      Sowmya

      Delete
  9. Pulao looks so yummy ...Very colorful and appetizing .Glad to follow you soumya .Visit mine when you find time .

    ReplyDelete
  10. Pulao looks yummy .
    http://www.kaviskitchen.blogspot.co.uk/

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hi Sowmya,
    This is very impressive n gonna start my cooking experiment with this.
    Excited already! Oooooooh!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hi sowmya, It was really very tasty. Very easy steps to follow. By Saritha

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Saritha. I am Glad that you and your family liked it.

      Delete
  13. Nice comments coming foryour article really good
    Minerva Xpress Restaurant Manikonda|Hyderabad

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It is very important to cultivate an attitude of thankfulness as it helps us focus on possibilities of improvements. A big thanks for taking time to stop by my space.Would love to hear from you. I am even more eager to know if you have tried any recipe from my space. Do leave your feedback ,suggestions and queries here. You can also reach me at tuma79@gmail.com. I hope you enjoyed surfing around. Comments tagged with link back to other sources, advertisement or promotions unless prior approved will be deleted straight away.

Thanks for your understanding

Happy Cooking
Sowmya

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