Veg Pulao

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Ingredients

• For rice
  • 1 cup basmati or long grain rice
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 2/3 green chillis slit vertically at center(according to hotness required, as we will not be adding any red chilli powder to it)
  • 1/2 bay leaves,cardamoms(elaichi),clove(laung),cinammom stick
  • 1 teaspoon salt
• For vegetables
  • 3 tablespoons oil
  • all khada masala like bay leaves,cardamoms(elaichi),cloves(laung),cinammom stick(1/2 each)
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
  • 1 medium sized potato, chopped into 1/2″ cubes(optional)
  • 1 carrot, chopped
  • 1 cup cauliflower, cut into small pieces
  • 1 cup frozen green peas/fresh also will do
  • 2 long sliced green peppers(optional)
  • corn (optional)
  • french beans cut
  • 1 teaspoon grated ginger
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
  • Kaju, raisins(optional, but will make pulao rich)
• For garnish:
• 2 tablespoons minced cilantro and kajus.

Following are the steps:

1. Heat the oil in a saucepan. 
2. Add cumin seeds after cumin seeds crack add bay leaves and all other khada masala(cinamom,cardamom,cloves) and green chillis and stir for few seconds.
3. Next add the rice. Stir-fry for 2 minutes.
4. Add water and salt, bring to a boil and turn the heat to low. Cover the pan.
5. Cook about 15 minutes, or until the rice is tender and the water has evaporated. Turn off the heat and fluff the rice with a fork. Rice should not become sticky.
6. Next heat oil in pot,  and repeat step2. Plus add freshly grated/chopped ginger.
7. Now add cut vegetables one by one to pot in order of time required for cooking. Easily cooked veg should be added last. Else, if you have already bought cut vegetables mixed together put them together. Also add kaju and raisins. Now add garam masala powder to it. 
8. Keep cooking till vegetables become tender cooked but not mushy. Once vegetables start turning tender, put the rice cooked in the vegetables and mix thouroughly but make sure rice grains do not break. Now cover the lid on pot for 4-5 minutes on medium low flame, so flavours of veggies mix properly with rice. Garnish with cilantro(kothimbir/dhania patta) and kajus.

Tip :Generally, all superstores have ready to use cut vegetables required for pulao. It will save lot of your energy. If  one particular vegetable is not available, it is fine. You can use your choice of vegetables. Only try to have different colored vegetables, it will enhance look of pulao.

Adding green chillis is optional, but green chilli will enhance flavour. So add it according to your taste.

You can also add a little soaked saffron to enhance more flavour.