Vegetable Masala Pulav and raitha

Good morning. Its summer time in India. Its a blissful summer. You can see trees all over Bangalore bloom. The cherry blossom and bright yellow coloured flower.  

Yesterday it was a bright full moon night. The moon was pale yellow and looking gorgeous like a pearl in the oyster! I took a stroll in the moonlit night in our apartment podium.


I got up at 4 today just to see the morning romantic sky.

I just love to see the bright orange sun in the morning. As I was sipping my early morning garam pani (warm water boiled with herb ramacham (vettiver) and the air was filled with freshly blossomed jasmine flower. Jasmine of course blooms at night and my balcony will be filled with its mild fragrance. 

I was thinking what to make for lunch? The whole week I was preparing different kinds of curries and vegetables gravies. So why not make yummy vegetable masala pulav with tomato raitha. This recipe is my creation. 

Vegetable Masala Pulav

Ingredients

Basmati Rice - 1 cup (clean wash and drain water)

chop the following vegetable into small cubes.

1.Potato - 1 (medium)
2.onion -1
3.beans - 5 nos.
4.tomato - 1 (big)
5.carrot - 1(medium)


shelled peas - 1/2 cup
garlic - 1 pod
green chilly - 1 small
ginger  julienne - a few

Sunflower oil - 1 tsp
Ghee - 2tbsp

For the masala (roast in slow flame)

clove - 4
cinnamon stick - a small piece
elachi - 2
jeera - 1 tsp
star anise - one whole
badi elachi - 1

Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp
amchur powder - 1/4 tsp(optional)

Turmeric powder - 1/2tsp
salt - as required
Water - 1 1/2 cups

For garnishing

coriander leaves - 1 tsp (finely chopped)
pudina leaves - a few leaves.(Optional)


Method of Preparation

In a heated deep pressure pan pour sunflower oil and two spoons of ghee. Add jeera, clove, cinnamon stick , elachi, jeera, star anise,badi elachi. allow it to release aroma. Add onion, ginger, garlic and chilly sauté for a while, Now add rest of the vegetables. In high flame cook the vegetables for about 5 minutes. Now add the basmati rice, sauté further, Allow the masala and vegetables mix very well with rice. Add turmeric powder, garam masala powder, amchur powder and salt. Now add water and mix gently. Allow the vegetable and rice to cook in pressure pan for one whistle. Before serving garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves and pudina leaves. 


Tomato/cucumber/Onion Raitha

Ingredients

Tomato cucumber/onion - 1
curd - 2 cups
green chilly - 1
coriander leaves - a few strings
roasted ground jeera powder - 1/2 tsp
salt as required

Method of Preparation

In a large serving bowl pour curd, add salt. Chop tomato/cucumber/onion into small pieces. chop green chilly and coriander leaves, add to the prepared curd mix well. Just sprinkle roasted jeera powder. Serve chilled with vegetable masala pulav.