Mixed Vegetable Pulao

Someone really smart has said... We eat with our eyes first & then our mouth.. Well, it's kind of true but then I always think, don't we eat with our nose first? I mean, before even you see your food, you have smelled it, haven't you?

Well, something for you to think about.. but it's true.. after the case of nose/smell has been sorted, we do eat with our eyes.. and colorful food always attracts bees .. umm.. well.. Kids in my case.. :)

Today's recipe is mixed veg pulao..
It's a regular crowd pleaser..
Very easy to make..
It's one-pot..
It has rice in it..
It is heavenly (Well, that might be an overstatement, but who's watching)..

This is what I used..

• 1.5 cups of Basmati rice
• Washed nicely 
• Soaked for 40mins or so
• 1 cup of frozen peas
• Thawed in water
• 1/2 cup of chopped carrots
• 1 red potato
• peeled
• chopped into small pieces
• 1/4 cup of mint leaves
• fresh from garden
• washed & finely chopped
• 1 small piece of bay leaf
• broken into two
• 2 tsp cumin seeds
• 2-3 tsp pulao masala
• Salt to taste
• Oil to cook vegetables
• 2.5 cups of water (luke warm will be nice)

Process

• Heat a heavy bottom pan (We'll cook the rice in dum style)
• Add oil
• When oil's hot, add the bay leaf & cumin seeds
• Next goes in the veggies + salt + pulao masala
• Fry on high heat, we need veggies to brown wee bit not cook entirely.

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• When veggies are wee bit brown on edges, add the drained rice & give it a good stir (Do not over mix else rice grains will break)
• You may add wee bit salt here if you didn't add much in the beginning

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• Fry the rice for 1-2 mins (Be careful with that spatula)
• Next add the mint leaves & stir again (30 secs)

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• Next add the warm water, give it a good stir again

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• Now cover with a tight lid & cook on low heat for 15mins

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• You may stir the rice once after 8 mins but again, do not over mix.
• Once rice is cooked, fluff with a fork & add the ghee & turn off the flame. 



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• Mix the rice once before serving to make sure that ghee has incorporated into the rice.