Cooking the rice in coconut milk gives this South Indian pilaf its intensely addictive flavor and aroma.
By Prathima Rao
Vegetable Pulao
- Total Time: 50 mins
Description
Cooking the rice in coconut milk gives this South Indian pilaf its intensely addictive flavor and aroma.
Ingredients
For pulao
- Ghee/ Clarified butter OR vegetable oil – 5 tbsp
- Onions – 2-3 nos, medium
- Uncooked basmati rice – 1 cup
- Coconut Milk (tetra pack) – 1 cup
- Water (or as req to cook rice) – 1 cup
- Tomatoes – 2 nos, medium
- Salt – to taste
- Fresh curd/ yogurt – 2 tbsp
- Few strands saffron
- Carrot – 1 medium
- Green peas – ½ cup
- Green capsicum – 1
For masala paste
- Cumin seeds (jeera) – 1 tsp
- Garlic cloves, peeled – 4
- Coriander seeds (dhania) – 1.5 tbsp
- Fresh grated coconut – 2 tbsp (or 2” piece dry coconut)
- Fresh ginger – 1” piece
- Green chillies – 1-2
- Whole dry red chillies (long variety) – 2-3
Instructions
- Wash basmati well. Soak in some water for 15 to 20 mins.
- Wash all vegetables. Peel and dice carrots. Chop capsicum into small pieces. Slice onions. Chop tomatoes into small pieces.
- Boil the carrots and peas. They should not turn mushy bit must remain firm & carrots must still have some crunchiness. Drain.
- Mix the saffron with the curd & set aside.
- Grind together all ingredients of the paste using required quantity of water to make a semi think and smooth paste.
- In a heavy bottomed vessel, heat oil or ghee. Add the sliced onions and saute till they turn light golden.
- Add the ground paste and fry for 1-2 mins. Add the capsicum and fry for a minute. The masala would now start to give a good aroma.
- Drain the rice and add into the pan, add salt and mix well. Add the boiled vegetables, coconut milk, 1 cup water (or as required to cook the rice. Taste the water/ coconut milk now to check for salt.
- When it comes to a boil, add the tomatoes. Cover and cook over a medium-high flame. When the rice is almost cooked and very little water remains add the saffron mixed with curd.
- Reduce heat and cook till done – no water/ moisture remains and the rice is cooked. Note that the rice grains need to be separate and not overcooked/ mushy.
- Serve with any vegetable raita, onion raita etc.
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Category: Main
- Cuisine: Indian
