Pudina Pulav

Ingredients
Pudina (Mint) Leaves - 2 cups, packed (add little water and make puree)
Basmati Rice - 2 1/2 cups (I use the 'cup' from the electric rice cooker)
Water - 4 cups and Mint puree - 1 cup : to cook rice
Green chillies - 6 (adjust per taste)

Cloves (lavang) -5 

Cardamom pods - 3
Cinnamon - 1/2" piece, make a coarse powder
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Ginger Garlic paste - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - sprig
Onion - 1 medium, roughly chopped
French beans - 1 cup, chopped 
Green peas - 1 cup
a pinch of turmeric

Salt to taste
Pulav masala - 2 tsp
2 tbsp oil

1 tbsp butter (optional)


Method

1. Make a puree of mint leaves and green chillies. Set aside
2. Start the electric rice cooker on 'cooking' . When the cooker is hot, add oil & butter and toss cumin seeds. Once they fry up, add cloves, cardamom, cinnamon powder, ginger & garlic paste
3. Let the ginger garlic paste fry for a minute, toss in curry leaves & chopped onion. Saute onion until translucent.
4. Stir in beans, add 1/4 tsp salt and let fry for 3 minutes. Add peas, fry for 2 minutes.
5. Add washed rice, turmeric, salt and pulav masala. Mix and let fry for 3 minutes.
6. Add mint puree and water, adjust salt. Cover and cook until done.
7. To get a dry texture, remove the cooked rice to a wide bowl and spread to cool.

Is perfect all by itself or serve with any korma.

Paneer - Capsicum Pulav

 

 

Ingredients

Basmatice Rice - 3 cups
Water - 4 1/2 cups

Paneer cubes - 1 cup, 1 ½”  cubes 
Red & Green Bell peppers (capsicum) - 1 cup, diced
Onion - 2 medium, thinly sliced

Salt - to taste

Turmeric - 1/2 tsp

Red chillie powder - 1/2 tsp 
Pulav masala - 4 tsp
Butter - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 3 tbsp

For seasoning:

Bay leaves - 3
Cloves (lavang) - 8, coarse powder

Cardamom pods - 4, coarse powder

Dried red chillies - 4, tear and deseed

Curry leaves - 2 sprigs

Poppy seeds powder - 2 tsp

Ginger Garlic paste - 1 tbsp

Method 

1. Heat oil in a wide skillet, fry paneer cubes until golden. Remove and set aside.
2. In the same skillet, add capsicum pieces and onion, fry on high heat just until they turn a little soft. Add fried paneer cubes to the skillet.
3. Add turmeric, salt, 1 tsp pulav masala, red chillie powder and mix well. Let fry for 2 minutes, remove and set aside 
4. Turn on the electric rice cooker, let heat and add oil
5. Add seasoning ingredients to the cooker in the order listed above. Fry for a minute until ginger garlic paste loses its raw smell 
6. Add rice, 3 tsp pulav masala, salt. Mix well and let fry for 5 minutes
7. Add water, cover and cook until done
8. Remove rice to a wide tray, spread to cool just a little
9. In an oven safe dish or tray, apply little butter on all sides
10. Spread a layer of rice, followed by a layer of paneer and capsicum pieces. Continue layering, ending with layer of rice on top
11. Cover and steam in the oven, at 250F for 10 minutes
12. Remove and mix gently

Royyala Pulao (Shrimp Pulav)

With the cleaned & cooked shrimp available here, it is a cinch to make this Pulao. All the wonderful spices make this dish very aromatic and flavourful!

Recipe

3 cups Basmati rice (washed lightly & drained) (use the regular cup that comes with electric rice cooker)

6 cups water

1 Lb shrimp (cleaned & cooked - medium size)

2 medium sized onions - thinly sliced, lengthwise

2" ginger piece - finely chopped

1 whole, small garlic bulb - minced

5 dried red chillies, broken into pieces

4 cloves (lavang) - coarse powder

3 cardamom pods (elaichi) - coarse powder

2 small stalks of curry leaves

4-6 bay leaves

1/2 tsp shahjeera powder

2 tsp Pulao masala powder

1/2 tsp turmeric

1 tsp red chillie powder

salt to taste

5 tbsp oil

Heat a saucepan, add thawed shrimp & add 1/4 tsp turmeric, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp red chillie powder. Mix well and let all the liquid evaporate. Turn the stove off, set the shrimp aside.

Put the electric rice cooker on 'Cooking' & add oil. When the oil is hot, add dried red chillies, cloves, cardamom, ginger, garlic, curry leaves, bay leaves & onion slices. Saute until onions turn translucent, then add the shrimp (set aside earlier), add washed rice, mix and add 1/4 tsp turmeric, shahjeera powder, pulao masala powder and salt. Fry the rice for 5 minutes, add water, cover & cook until done. Mix lightly when done & enjoy the delicious pulao!