It’s been sometime since I posted any rice recipe. Methi (Fenugreek leaves) has always been my nemesis of sorts. I’m always wary of using fresh methi leaves either in rice or gravy for the fear of it making the dish turn bitter. That’s what happened a few years ago and the kids just refuse to eat anything with fresh methi in them. Oops, they started behaving as though a cat has just been served some very hot milk every time the talk of methi leaves cropped up. So, I bought methi leaves only to dry it up in the oven to convert into “kasuri methi”.
Very recently when I saw this recipe in Tarlaji’s book, I decided to give it a try and the kids just could not tell it apart. The lunch box came back all clean and emptied and the 2 cats even demanded that I pack the same for the next day too. I always find that giving my kids some time to get adjusted, works much better instead of forcing or threatening them to eat something. This one pot meal is so quick to make and pack for lunch boxes which also happens to meet out our daily need of iron and fibre.
Tomato Methi Pulao
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Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
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Raw Rice – 1-1/2 cups
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Tomato – 3
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Onion, big – 1
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Fenugreek leaves (Methi) – 2 cups
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Cumin seeds – 1/4 tsp
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Bay leaf – 1
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Cardamom – 2
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Cloves – 2
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Cinnamon – 1 inch stick
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Green chillies – 2
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Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
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Coriander leaves – 1/4 cup
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Salt – to taste
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Oil – 1 tbsp
Instructions:
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Cut, clean, wash and chop the fenugreek leaves and keep aside. Chop the onion and tomatoes and keep aside. Chop the green chillies very finely. Wash and soak rice in some water for 10 minutes.
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Heat a pressure cooker with oil. Add cumin seeds, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and bay leaf, roast for a minute till the aroma arise. Add green chillies and sauté for 30 seconds. Now add the onion,
ginger garlic paste and over medium flame cook for 2 mins till the raw smell disappears and the onions turn pink.
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Add
red chilli powder,
coriander powder, turmeric powder and sauté for 30 seconds. The mixture would have dried up now. Add the tomatoes, fenugreek leaves, coriander leaves, salt and mix well.
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Add rice after draining excess water, 3 cups of water and close with the cooker lid. Cook for 2 whistles and when the pressure is off, open and mix gently to separate the rice grains.
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Serve hot with any raita. Aromatic, flavorful and healthy one pot is meal is ready to be packed up for lunch box as well.
Notes:
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Replace basmati rice with the usual rice.
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For want of more flavor replace half the oil with desi ghee.
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You can avoid the whole spices and instead add 1 tsp of garam masala powder in Step 3 while adding the dry spice powders.
This is off to EP Series: Fenugreek and Green Chillies and to Spotlight: Rice, Pulao N Rotis
Labels: Greens, Lunch Box Recipes, One pot meals, Rice Recipes, Vegetable: Tomato