CORIANDER MINT PULAO

The much awaited weekend would end in few hours from now and I need to prepare myself for a busy week ahead.  The weekend went too quick with hell of work at home and preparing for son's annual exams.  I am damn tired to start a week now, both physically and psychologically.  As I had foreseen much before, there were lot of changes on personal and professional front and I push myself very hard to overcome the challenges and obstacles.  I try my level best to be strong and motivated and gear up for the learning ahead.

As I said, with son's exams that piled along with lot of house work, I kept the cooking on easier stuffs over the weekend.  I prepared coriander-mint pulao and served it with roti to showcase it as an elaborate meal :-). 

INGREDIENTS:

Basmati rice -2 cups

Mint and cilantro - 1.5 cups packed tight

Onion - 1 (sliced thin)

Potato - 1 (cut as cubes)

Carrot - 1 (I cut as thick slices in jiffy)

Salt - to taste

Ghee – 3 tsp

TO TEMPER:

Cloves – 1-2
Cinnamon – 1
Bay Leaf – 1

TO GRIND:
Pudina/Mint leaves – 1 small bunch
Garlic flakes – 4
Ginger – 1 small piece
Green chilies – 5

PREPARATION:

1 Discard the mint leaves from the stem and wash in cool water twice to remove the dirt.

2. Wash coriander leaves in running cold water and finely chop with the stalks. 

3. In a mixer, grind tomato, garlic, green chilly, mint and coriander leaves. 

4. Heat oil in the pressure cooker, add the tempering spices, when it sizzles, add onions. When the onion turns golden brown, add carrot and potato, then add necessary salt and mix well. Now add the ground masala and stir well and later add the rice with double the water (1:2). Mix well. Close the lid and pressure cook for 2 vessels. Add 2-3 tsp of ghee after opening and mix well. Adding ghee at this point will give good flavor and aroma to the pulao. 

Serve with any raita of your choice.