Vegetable pilaf

Pilaf or pulao is a rice dish usually cooked with basmati rice. This is because it needs rice grains to remain separate from each other and not be sticky. Moreover, basmati rice when cooked is light and fluffy. Pulao is fragrant because of the spices like cloves, cinnamon and bay leaves that are added.

I came across this recipe when browsing through a Malayalam fortnightly magazine called Vanitha. Vanitha means woman in Malayalam. The magazine was founded by Mrs. K. M. Mathew, a distant relative of my mother. 

The components...

1. Basmati rice - 1 cup

Water - 2 cups

Lemon - a squeeze

2. Green chili - 2

Garlic cloves - 3

Ginger - 1/2 inch

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Cloves - 2

Cinnamon - 2

Coriander powder - 1 and 1/2 tsp

Salt - 1/2 tsp

Water - a splash

3. Beans - 150g

Carrot - 1

Green bell pepper - 1

Green peas, frozen - 1/4 cup

Corn, frozen - 1/4 cup

Water - 1/4 cup

4. Olive oil, extra virgin - 2 tsp

The tactic...

Wash and clean the rice well and souse it in water for half an hour. Drain water. Heat up a saucepan and add a tsp of oil. When it warms up, throw in the rice. Fry for a few seconds and add 2 cups of water. Cover with a lid. Cook until all the water evaporates and the rice is cooked undeniably. Set aside.

Trim the ends of the beans and cut into small pieces. Peel carrot and dice into small bits. Deseed the bell pepper and slice into tiny pieces. 

Toast cumin seeds. Mince ginger, garlic and green chili. Remove the outer cover of cardamom. Grind all the ingredients mentioned in (2) to a paste.

Heat up saucepan and dribble oil. Add the ground melange and fry it for a few seconds. Cast in the chopped vegetables (beans, carrot, bell pepper), peas and corn. Add 1/4 cup water too. Allow the vegetables to cook utterly and the water to evaporate. Stir in between.

Add the spiced and cooked vegetables into the rice and fuse out and out.

Roister with roaster papad and yogurt.