Easy Vegetable Pulav/Veg Pulao...step by step.

Easy vegetable pulav or pulao or pilaf.....can be made in about half an hour....how cool is that??

I use my food processor once a day noo twice, thrice, I stopped counting......its the most essential part of my cooking.

I made this for lunch a couple of days back.....just put some veggies in the processor and blitz away...  whatever veggies you have in stock, I used carrots, beans, capsicum....

This recipe serves just three and I used my 3.5 litre pressure cooker.

This is a perfect lunch box delight for kids, sometimes I make this in the morning for kids lunch, you can always chop/mince the veggies a day before and refrigerate it, also the green masala paste.

 Why I mince veggies: my kids are picky eaters when it comes to veggies, they simply remove the veggies (when I chop them) with a grin on their face and keep it aside on the plate. So this way they cannot "pick" veggies and they  doesn't seems to mind the tiny veggie pieces....

Ingredients:
Basmati Rice: 1.5 cups, wash put on a strainer.
Vegetables: 1 carrot, 10 beans, half capsicum, half onion, half tomato etc minced, about 1 1/2 cup.
Onion: 1, sliced.
Kashmiri Chilly powder: 3/4 tsp.
Turmeric powder: 1/4 tsp.
Garam masala: 1/2 tsp.

• Green chilly: 2
• Coriander leaves: A small bunch.
• Garlic: 6 cloves.
• Ginger: 1 inch.

Cinnamon: 1 stick.
Cloves: 3 or 4.
Cardamon: 2 or 3.
Mace: a small piece.
Oil: 2 tbsp.
Salt to taste.
Juice of half lemon.
Water: 3 cups minus 1 tbsp.

Method:
1. Put the veggies (cut into small) in the food processor and mince or you can simply chop them...keep aside.

The stars!!

Grind the coriander leaves, garlic, green chilly, and ginger...keep aside.

In a pressure cooker, heat 2 tbsp of oil (I used rice bran oil). Add the spices.

Simmer the fire. Add the sliced onion, let it fry for 2 min, then add the green coarse paste, and let it saute.

Add the red chilly powder, turmeric, salt, and garam masala.

Mix well....still on low flame.

Now add the vegetables. Stir for a min or two.

Turn the flame to full. Add 3 cups of water and bring it to a boil, then add the lime juice. Now add the rice. Mix well, check salt and close the cooker with its lid, when steam comes, simmer the flame and let it simmer for 6 to 7 min. Switch off the flame after that.

Open after 15 min. Mix the rice or fluff it with a fork....garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve with raita and papad.

You might be interested to know how often I use my food processor
Chopping the palak for palak rice.
To mince veggies for mixed vegetable dosa/rice crepes.
To mince cauliflower for cauliflower/gobi paratha.
To make mayonnaise.
To grate carrots for carrot halwa.