Friday, September 30, 2011

Vegetable pulao and beetroot raita






I have been making  a lot of one dish meals lately and this was one of them. I made this pulao with lots of vegetables, green tur dal and paneer. It was very flavorful and healthy. I had to add very little water as it cooked in the water released by the vegetables. The rice absorbs the flavors from the the vegetables. I paired it with a delicious beetroot raita spiced with green chilies and garlic.





Ingredients
2 onions sliced
2 diced carrots
1 diced zucchini
about 2 cups chopped cabbage
1/2 cup sliced capsicum or sweet peppers
1 cup green toor dal (lilva toor)
1/2 cup cubed paneer
2 cups rice

Spices
1 tsp shahi jeera 
3-4 black cardamom
1 stick cinnamon
2-3 bay leaf
a few star anise
1tbsp garam masala
salt to taste

 For the beetroot raita
2 beetroots boiled and chopped 
2 cups yogurt whisked
salt and sugar according to taste
a pinch or roasted cumin powder
1 tbsp finely chopped garlic
1 finely chopped green chilli


Method
Wash the rice and let it soak in water for half and hour. Heat oil or ghee in a pan or pressure cooker add all the dry spices and fry for a minute. Now add the onions and let them get golden brown. Remove half of the onions and keep them aside. Now add  the carrots, cabbage, toor dal, and paneer. Fry for a sometime and add the garam masala and capsicum. Mix the rice in it and stir well. Season with salt and add about 1 cup water to it. You can add more or less water depending on how many vegetables you have. Cover and let it cook till done. Garnish with the fried onions, roasted cashews and chopped cilantro.



To make the raita, add the boiled and chopped beetroot to the whisked yogurt season with salt, sugar and cumin powder. For the tempering, heat some oil and add cumin seeds add garlic and green chilies to it. Let it cook till the garlic gets golden brown and then pour it over the raita.








8 comments:

  1. I love green tuvar! And I love raitas! Please put up more recipes of interesting raitas!
    Which reminds of a funny anecdote: When I first came to Bangalore I was astonished to read about a "Raitha Sangha", and figured that the south Indians really did love their yoghurt. Much to my Kannadiga friends' amusement, I discovered much later that "raitha" comes from "ryot" and means "farmer".

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  2. First time here....
    pulao with raita looks delicious and very tempting...
    will sonn give a try..
    U have a wonderful space with interesting recipes, glad to follow u :)

    Visit my space when u find time.

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  3. Samira that is hilarious! But I would have thought the same as food is always on my mind:) Talking of green tuvar I love the Gujarati ringan tuvar vegetable and now I feel like having that!

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  4. Both makes me hungry, looks wonderful and irresistible..

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  5. Thanks for visiting my space......Gosh !!!!! I have to say you have such a beautiful space with amazing pictures. Glad to be a part as This will be a big learning experience. Thanks for sharing your recipes.

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  6. I am unable to decide what's looking better ....but both is just so yum ....thanks for visiting me ..you have a awesome space ..I am also in process of implementing pic gallery same as you have done.

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  7. Great combo...looks very yummy and delicious...Glad to follow you

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  8. Delicious pulao goes perfectly with this ruby colored raita..:) Beet root raita is one of my fav raitas...Adding green tuvar is new to me...Must give it a shot..
    Prathima Rao
    Prats Corner

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