Methi Pulao

I love rice dishes and specially one pot meals. I prefer biryani, pulaos, fried rice and different rice varieties any day over rice and curries. When Valli announced rice dishes, I picked this theme without any hesitation and will pick it again next time we have this theme. Just three days of rice dishes is never enough!!

For the first day I picked methi pulao. This has been on my to blog list for a very long time and it never worked out until this month. Whenever I have fresh methi ~ fenugreek on hand, I always add some any pulaos and bagara. And usually my pulao and bagara recipes are usually similar and the only difference is ingredients that go in and how I cook it. Today’s recipe is no different. The only difference is, I used lot more methi in this recipe and skipped mint which I usually add to pulaos. To keep it simple, I used only green peas but different vegetables can also be added.

I go through phases where I cook pulao or bagara on stove top or pressure cooker or rice cooker. Few years ago it was only in rice cooker and then I started cooking on stovetop, as in here. Then when I saw Pavani cook her pualo in pressure cooker and there after it was only in pressure cooker. Past few months, I am back to rice cooker. I think I get bored of cooking pulao in one style for too long. Oh, there was a time when I also cooked my bagara in the oven!! But that is too much work; saute the veggies on stove top, preheat the oven, then finishing it off in an oven. And I don’t think I will switch to that mode any time soon.

Total Time: 55 – 60 minutes
Preparation: 30 minutes (includes time to soak rice)
Cooking Time: 25 – 30 minutes
Serves: 2 – 3

Measuring cup used here is the one that comes with the rice cooker
Ingredients:

• 1 bunch Methi ~ Fenugreek, leaves plucked (about 2 cups moderate to firmly packed plucked leaves)
• 2 ½ cup Basmati Rice, washed and soaked for 30 minutes
• 4 tbsp. Oil
• 4-6 Cardmons
• 3 Cloves
• ½ tsp. Shah Jeera ~ Caraway Seeds
• 2-3 Bay Leaves
• 1 Biryani Flower
• 1 small Onion sliced
• 2 tsp. Ginger Garlic paste
• 7 – 8 small Green Chilies, slit into two
• Frozen Green Peas (I forgot to note down how much I used, approximately ¾ – 1 cup)
• Salt to taste
• 4 ¼ cups Water (1 : 1 ¾ cup rice to water ratio)
• Cilantro ~ Fresh Kotmir, chopped

Preparation:

• Wash rice and soak for 30 minutes.
• Pluck the methi leaves and chop. I used one bunch and this time the bunch was small, compared to the ones we usually get.
• Heat oil in a pan and add cardmons, cloves, shah jeera, bay leaves, biryani flower and let the spices roast in oil. I usually start this step when rice is soaked for 20 – 25 minutes. By the time I saute rest of the ingredients, rice is soaked and ready to use.
• Add onions, methi leaves and saute until onions are soft, methi leaves wither and roasted in oil. It is important to fry the methi leaves or it could give a bitter taste to dish.
• Add ginger garlic paste, green chilies and fry until ginger no longer smells raw.
• Add green peas and saute for few minutes.
• Drain the rice and add to the pan. Lightly fry the rice with along with the other ingredients.
• Take water in a rice cooker. I usually turn on the cooker with water when I start sauteeing onions. By the time I finish all the above steps, water will come to a boil. But this step of boiling water is optional.
• Add rice to rice cooker. Add salt add and give a good stir.
• Turn on the cooker and let the rice cook.
• Once the cooker shuts off, sprinkle chopped cilantro and fluff up the rice. Cover and let the pulao rest for 10 – 15 minutes before serving.
• Serve pulao with chicken curry or any veg or non veg gravy or with some raita.

Notes:

• Vegetables – I used only green peas here but can add vegetables of choice, such as carrots, green beans, lima beans, potatoes etc.
• Stove top – I cooked the rice in the rice cooker but it can be finished off on the stovetop as well. You can still use the same ratio of water to rice or use as you would to prepare pulao. Instead of a frying pan, use at least a 3 quart or 3 liters container for this quantity of rice.
• Pressure Cooker – Procedure is same as above and use at least a 3 liter pressure cooker. Use 1:1 ¼ cups rice to water ratio. Cook for one whistle, reduce the flame to low and cook for another 2 minutes. Turn of the stove and open the cooker after the pressure is released naturally. For reference, check this recipe.

This day in 2014: Egg McMuffin

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